U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00143822 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Howard, KS

NOAA weather station Howard (USC00143822), Kansas · elevation 1010 ft (308 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 30only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season186 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Howard, KSSpring: a frost after March 31 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after April 30 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 186 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Oct 22Frost season at Howard, KSSpring: a frost after March 31 in 9 years out of 10, after April 17 in half of the years, after April 30 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 22 in half of the years, before November 4 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 186 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 17First frost ~Oct 22
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 30October 6
50% (typical)April 17October 22
90% (likely)March 31November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
186 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 16 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 21 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 188 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 Howard: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 30, 20% April 26, 30% April 23, 40% April 20, 50% April 17, 60% April 13, 70% April 9, 80% April 4, 90% March 31. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 30Apr 17Mar 312021: April 232022: April 20Fall at Howard: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 12, 30% October 16, 40% October 19, 50% October 22, 60% October 24, 70% October 27, 80% October 31, 90% November 4. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 30, 2022 October 16.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 22Nov 42021: October 302022: October 16
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 30
2022April 20October 16
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024no dataincomplete record
2025incomplete recordincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 6 marks the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in Howard, carrying a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. The 50% date of October 22 represents an even chance of a light frost occurring earlier, so a gardener planning around the cautious date can expect only a small risk of frost damage to tender crops at that point. The median hard-frost date of November 1 shows when a 28 °F freeze becomes a one-in-two proposition, underscoring that hard frosts pose a greater threat than light frosts because they can kill plants that survive temperatures just above freezing.

In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 30, when there is a 10 % chance of a light frost later than that day; by contrast, March 31 carries a 90 % chance and is a gamble. The 50% date of April 17 signals an even chance of a light frost later, while the hard-frost median of April 4 marks the point at which a 28 °F freeze becomes equally likely.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 30" 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 6" 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 Howard, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Sedan, KS — 24 mi; 2 — Eureka, KS — 25 mi; 3 — Independence, KS — 35 mi; 4 — Winfield, KS — 39 mi; 5 — El Dorado, KS — 40 mi.OK25 mi · 40 km1. Sedan, KS — 24 mi12. Eureka, KS — 25 mi23. Independence, KS — 35 mi34. Winfield, KS — 39 mi45. El Dorado, KS — 40 mi5
  1. Sedan, KS 24 mi (38 km)
  2. Eureka, KS 25 mi (40 km)
  3. Independence, KS 35 mi (57 km)
  4. Winfield, KS 39 mi (62 km)
  5. El Dorado, KS 40 mi (64 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 37.4664, -96.2714.