U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00052446 · Colorado

Frost Dates for Eads, CO

NOAA weather station Eads (USC00052446), Colorado · elevation 4212 ft (1284 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 12only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 3050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season165 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Eads, COSpring: a frost after April 15 in 9 years out of 10, after April 30 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 13 in half of the years, before October 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 165 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 30First frost ~Oct 13Frost season at Eads, COSpring: a frost after April 15 in 9 years out of 10, after April 30 in half of the years, after May 12 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 13 in half of the years, before October 24 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 165 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 30First frost ~Oct 13
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 12October 1
50% (typical)April 30October 13
90% (likely)April 15October 24
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
165 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 19
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 21

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 1 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 15 (2 days later). Frost-free season 166 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Eads: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 12, 20% May 7, 30% May 4, 40% May 1, 50% April 30, 60% April 27, 70% April 23, 80% April 20, 90% April 15. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 May 1, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 21, 2026 May 7.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 12Apr 30Apr 152021: May 122022: May 12023: April 232024: April 212025: April 212026: May 7Fall at Eads: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 5, 30% October 8, 40% October 11, 50% October 13, 60% October 15, 70% October 18, 80% October 20, 90% October 24. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 31.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 13Oct 242021: October 142022: October 172023: October 72024: October 31
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 12October 14
2022May 1October 17
2023April 23October 7
2024April 21October 31
2025April 21incomplete record
2026May 7season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 12, the cautious spring date with a 10 % chance of a later light frost, lets a gardener plan to set out tender crops. The 50% date is April 30, meaning an even chance of a light frost on either side of that day, while April 15 carries a 90 % chance and is a gamble for early planting. The 50% hard-frost date is April 19, indicating equal odds for a 28 °F hard frost.

October 1, the cautious fall date with a 10 % chance of an earlier light frost, lets a gardener finish harvesting tender crops. The 50% date is October 13, and October 24 has a 90 % chance, making late planting risky. The 50% hard-frost date is October 21. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue more severely than a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 12" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 1" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Eads, CONumbered nearest stations: 1 — Lamar, CO — 28 mi; 2 — Las Animas, CO — 37 mi; 3 — La Junta, CO — 50 mi; 4 — Tribune, KS — 54 mi; 5 — Hugo, CO — 60 mi.COKS25 mi · 40 km1. Lamar, CO — 28 mi12. Las Animas, CO — 37 mi23. La Junta, CO — 50 mi34. Tribune, KS — 54 mi45. Hugo, CO — 60 mi5
  1. Lamar, CO 28 mi (44 km)
  2. Las Animas, CO 37 mi (60 km)
  3. La Junta, CO 50 mi (80 km)
  4. Tribune, KS 54 mi (87 km)
  5. Hugo, CO 60 mi (97 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 38.4758, -102.7769.