U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00014891 · Ohio

Frost Dates near Mansfield, OH

NOAA weather station Mansfield Lahm Municipal Airport (USW00014891), Ohio · elevation 1295 ft (395 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

Mansfield is the nearest town to the station (4.3 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 12only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season177 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Mansfield, OHSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 12 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: 177 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 22Frost season near Mansfield, OHSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 12 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: 177 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 26First 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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 12October 6
50% (typical)April 26October 22
90% (likely)April 14November 4
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
177 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 16
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 2

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (3 days later). Frost-free season 181 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 near Mansfield: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 12, 20% May 6, 30% May 2, 40% April 29, 50% April 26, 60% April 23, 70% April 20, 80% April 18, 90% April 14. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 12Apr 26Apr 142021: April 222022: April 282023: April 272024: April 252025: April 172026: May 3Fall near Mansfield: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 12, 30% October 15, 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 November 3, 2022 October 20, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 22Nov 42021: November 32022: October 202023: October 232024: October 172025: October 25
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 22November 3
2022April 28October 20
2023April 27October 23
2024April 25October 17
2025April 17October 25
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 14 carries a 90% chance of a light frost later, so it is a gamble for growers in the Mansfield area.

The median light-frost dates are April 26 in spring and October 22 in fall; each marks a 50% chance of a frost later (spring) or earlier (fall). For a cautious plan, growers aim to plant tender crops after May 12, the date with only a 10% chance of a later frost, and to finish harvesting tender crops before October 6, the date with only a 10% chance that a frost has arrived earlier.

Hard frosts, recorded at 28 °F, are noted on April 16 and November 2; they matter more than the 32 °F light-frost dates because they can damage plants that survive a light frost.

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 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 Mansfield, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Bucyrus, OH — 24 mi; 2 — Danville, OH — 29 mi; 3 — Norwalk, OH — 31 mi; 4 — Wooster, OH — 32 mi; 5 — Marion, OH — 35 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Bucyrus, OH — 24 mi12. Danville, OH — 29 mi23. Norwalk, OH — 31 mi34. Wooster, OH — 32 mi45. Marion, OH — 35 mi5
  1. Bucyrus, OH 24 mi (38 km)
  2. Danville, OH 29 mi (46 km)
  3. Norwalk, OH 31 mi (50 km)
  4. Wooster, OH 32 mi (51 km)
  5. Marion, OH 35 mi (57 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: 40.8203, -82.5178.