U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00144087 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Jetmore, KS

NOAA weather station Jetmore 8 NNW (USC00144087), Kansas · elevation 2430 ft (741 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 6only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Jetmore, KSSpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 25First frost ~Oct 18Frost season at Jetmore, KSSpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 25 in half of the years, after May 6 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 18 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 25First frost ~Oct 18
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 6October 3
50% (typical)April 25October 18
90% (likely)April 11October 31
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 27

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 25 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 22 (4 days later). Frost-free season 180 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 Jetmore: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 6, 20% May 2, 30% April 30, 40% April 28, 50% April 25, 60% April 22, 70% April 19, 80% April 16, 90% April 11. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 23, 2024 April 21, 2025 April 16, 2026 April 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 6Apr 25Apr 112021: April 222022: April 262023: April 232024: April 212025: April 162026: April 19Fall at Jetmore: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 9, 30% October 13, 40% October 16, 50% October 18, 60% October 21, 70% October 24, 80% October 26, 90% October 31. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 31, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 16, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 18Oct 312021: October 312022: October 172023: October 162024: October 162025: October 30
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 22October 31
2022April 26October 17
2023April 23October 16
2024April 21October 16
2025April 16October 30
2026April 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 175 days between the 50% dates in Jetmore – April 25 in spring and October 18 in fall – define the period when light frosts are as likely as not, giving gardeners a window for most outdoor work. For a gardener the April 25 date marks the median point for a 32 °F light frost, meaning there is a fifty-percent chance of frost occurring after that day. The October 18 date provides the comparable median for fall, with an even chance of frost occurring before it. A cautious plan therefore waits until the May 6 spring date, which carries only a ten-percent chance of a later frost, before setting out tender crops, and aims to finish tender harvests by the October 3 fall date, which holds only a ten-percent chance that a frost has arrived earlier. A hard frost, recorded at 28 °F, is more damaging than a light frost because the lower temperature can injure plants that survive the milder 32 °F threshold, as shown by the median hard-frost dates of April 14 and October 27.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 6" 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 3" 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 Jetmore, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Dodge City, KS — 30 mi; 2 — Cimarron, KS — 35 mi; 3 — Healy, KS — 47 mi; 4 — Garden City (Airport), KS — 48 mi; 5 — near Garden City, KS — 51 mi.KS25 mi · 40 km1. Dodge City, KS — 30 mi12. Cimarron, KS — 35 mi23. Healy, KS — 47 mi34. Garden City (Airport), KS — 48 mi45. near Garden City, KS — 51 mi5
  1. Dodge City, KS 30 mi (49 km)
  2. Cimarron, KS 35 mi (57 km)
  3. Healy, KS 47 mi (76 km)
  4. Garden City (Airport), KS 48 mi (77 km)
  5. near Garden City, KS 51 mi (81 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 38.1964, -99.9175.