U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00255810 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Nebraska City, NE

NOAA weather station Nebraska City 2 NW (USC00255810), Nebraska · elevation 1055 ft (322 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 1only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season182 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Nebraska City, NESpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 19Frost season at Nebraska City, NESpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 18 in half of the years, after May 1 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 182 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 18First frost ~Oct 19
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 25 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 1October 3
50% (typical)April 18October 19
90% (likely)April 4October 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
182 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 28

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 19 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 182 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 Nebraska City: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 1, 20% April 27, 30% April 24, 40% April 21, 50% April 18, 60% April 15, 70% April 12, 80% April 9, 90% April 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 27, 2023 April 30, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 9.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 1Apr 18Apr 42021: April 232022: April 272023: April 302024: April 232025: April 9Fall at Nebraska City: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 19, 60% October 22, 70% October 24, 80% October 26, 90% October 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 22, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 28, 2024 October 16, 2025 November 2.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 19Oct 302021: October 222022: October 82023: October 282024: October 162025: November 2
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 27October 8
2023April 30October 28
2024April 23October 16
2025April 9November 2
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 182 days between the 50% dates in Nebraska City—April 18 and October 19—enclose the span when a light frost is equally likely to have happened or not, giving gardeners a central period for planting and harvesting tender crops. The 50% dates themselves are not frost dates; they simply mark the median odds for a 32 °F frost.

For a cautious spring schedule, the 10 % chance date is May 1, the point at which only a small chance of a later frost remains, while the gamble lies at April 4 with a 90 % chance of frost. In fall, the cautious date is October 3, when only a 10 % chance of an earlier frost exists; counting on crops through October 30 carries a 90 % chance of frost. The hard-frost median dates are April 9 and October 28, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage or kill plants that would survive a 32 °F light frost, making those dates especially significant.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 1" 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 Nebraska City, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Sidney, IA — 13 mi; 2 — Syracuse, NE — 16 mi; 3 — Auburn, NE — 24 mi; 4 — Shenandoah, IA — 28 mi; 5 — Tecumseh, NE — 29 mi.NEMO25 mi · 40 km1. Sidney, IA — 13 mi12. Syracuse, NE — 16 mi23. Auburn, NE — 24 mi34. Shenandoah, IA — 28 mi45. Tecumseh, NE — 29 mi5
  1. Sidney, IA 13 mi (21 km)
  2. Syracuse, NE 16 mi (26 km)
  3. Auburn, NE 24 mi (38 km)
  4. Shenandoah, IA 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Tecumseh, NE 29 mi (46 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: 40.6986, -95.8867.