U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00336389 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Painesville, OH

NOAA weather station Painesville 4 NW (USC00336389), Ohio · elevation 600 ft (183 m) · hardiness zone 7a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 27only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season209 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Painesville, OHSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 27 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 30 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 209 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 15First frost ~Nov 9Frost season at Painesville, OHSpring: a frost after April 2 in 9 years out of 10, after April 15 in half of the years, after April 27 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 30 in 1 year out of 10, before November 9 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 209 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 15First frost ~Nov 9
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.Today

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 27October 30
50% (typical)April 15November 9
90% (likely)April 2November 25
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
209 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 21

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 13 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 10 (1 day later). Frost-free season 212 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 Painesville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 27, 20% April 23, 30% April 20, 40% April 18, 50% April 15, 60% April 13, 70% April 10, 80% April 6, 90% April 2. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2023 April 10, 2024 March 28, 2025 April 17, 2026 April 8.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 27Apr 15Apr 22021: April 222023: April 102024: March 282025: April 172026: April 8Fall at Painesville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 30, 20% November 2, 30% November 4, 40% November 6, 50% November 9, 60% November 12, 70% November 16, 80% November 20, 90% November 25. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 20, 2023 November 20, 2024 November 13, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 30Nov 9Nov 252021: November 202023: November 202024: November 132025: November 10
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 20
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023April 10November 20
2024March 28November 13
2025April 17November 10
2026April 8season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 2 in Painesville bears a 90% chance of a light frost later that season, making it a high-risk gamble. The cautious date is April 27, when only a 10% chance of a later light frost remains, giving growers a much lower risk for tender plantings.

For a gardener, the 50% date is April 15, which carries a 50% chance of a light frost later than this date, while the 50% date is November 9, which carries a 50% chance of a light frost earlier than this date. The hard-frost median dates are April 4 and November 21; a 28°F hard frost can injure or kill tender crops more readily than a 32°F light frost. In fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 30, when only a 10% chance of an earlier light frost exists, whereas waiting until November 25 would involve a 90% chance and a gamble.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 27" 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 30" 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 Painesville, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Chardon, OH — 13 mi; 2 — Dorset, OH — 33 mi; 3 — Hiram, OH — 34 mi; 4 — Cleveland, OH — 37 mi; 5 — Linesville, PA — 46 mi.OHPA25 mi · 40 km1. Chardon, OH — 13 mi12. Dorset, OH — 33 mi23. Hiram, OH — 34 mi34. Cleveland, OH — 37 mi45. Linesville, PA — 46 mi5
  1. Chardon, OH 13 mi (20 km)
  2. Dorset, OH 33 mi (53 km)
  3. Hiram, OH 34 mi (55 km)
  4. Cleveland, OH 37 mi (60 km)
  5. Linesville, PA 46 mi (73 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: 41.7528, -81.2953.