U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143810 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Horton, KS

NOAA weather station Horton (USC00143810), Kansas · elevation 1032 ft (315 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 2only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season180 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Horton, KSSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 17Frost season at Horton, KSSpring: a frost after April 3 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 2 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 2 in 1 year out of 10, before October 17 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 180 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 17
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 2October 2
50% (typical)April 18October 17
90% (likely)April 3October 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
180 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 27

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 17 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 19 (2 days later). Frost-free season 184 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 Horton: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 2, 20% April 27, 30% April 24, 40% April 21, 50% April 18, 60% April 15, 70% April 12, 80% April 9, 90% April 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 20, 2025 April 9, 2026 April 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 2Apr 18Apr 32021: April 232022: April 262023: April 232024: April 202025: April 92026: April 29Fall at Horton: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 2, 20% October 8, 30% October 11, 40% October 14, 50% October 17, 60% October 20, 70% October 23, 80% October 26, 90% October 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 22, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 17, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 22.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 2Oct 17Oct 302021: October 222022: October 82023: October 172024: October 162025: October 22
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
2021April 23October 22
2022April 26October 8
2023April 23October 17
2024April 20October 16
2025April 9October 22
2026April 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of April 3 carries a 90 % chance of a frost and is therefore a gamble for gardeners in Horton. In contrast, the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 2, when the chance of a frost later than that day has dropped to 10 %.

The 50% date for light frost in spring is April 18; there is a 50 % chance of a frost later than this date. The 50% date for light frost in fall is October 17; there is a 50 % chance of a frost earlier than this date. For finishing harvests, the cautious fall date is October 2, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived. Hard-frost median dates are April 9 and October 27; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, making it a more critical threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 2" 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 2" 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 Horton, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Troy, KS — 25 mi; 2 — near Falls City, NE — 29 mi; 3 — Oregon, MO — 29 mi; 4 — Topeka, KS — 42 mi; 5 — Kansas City (Airport), MO — 49 mi.MOKSNE25 mi · 40 km1. Troy, KS — 25 mi12. near Falls City, NE — 29 mi23. Oregon, MO — 29 mi34. Topeka, KS — 42 mi45. Kansas City (Airport), MO — 49 mi5
  1. Troy, KS 25 mi (41 km)
  2. near Falls City, NE 29 mi (46 km)
  3. Oregon, MO 29 mi (47 km)
  4. Topeka, KS 42 mi (67 km)
  5. Kansas City (Airport), MO 49 mi (79 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: 39.6678, -95.52.