U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00146637 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Quinter, KS

NOAA weather station Quinter (USC00146637), Kansas · elevation 2672 ft (814 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1850% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season176 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Quinter, KSSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 7 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 29 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 176 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 24First frost ~Oct 18Frost season at Quinter, KSSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 24 in half of the years, after May 7 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 29 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 176 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 24First 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.Today

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 7October 3
50% (typical)April 24October 18
90% (likely)April 9October 29
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
176 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 13
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 20 (2 days later). Frost-free season 178 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 Quinter: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 7, 20% May 2, 30% April 30, 40% April 27, 50% April 24, 60% April 21, 70% April 18, 80% April 14, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2022 April 26, 2023 April 24, 2024 April 9, 2025 April 16, 2026 April 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 7Apr 24Apr 92022: April 262023: April 242024: April 92025: April 162026: April 19Fall at Quinter: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 9, 30% October 12, 40% October 15, 50% October 18, 60% October 21, 70% October 23, 80% October 26, 90% October 29. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 11, 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 292021: November 112022: 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
2021incomplete recordNovember 11
2022April 26October 17
2023April 24October 16
2024April 9October 16
2025April 16October 30
2026April 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

May 7 is the cautious spring date in Quinter; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops on that day. The 50% date is April 24, indicating an even odds chance of a light frost occurring on either side of that point in spring, while the 50% date is October 18 for fall. The 50% hard-frost date is April 13 and the 50% hard-frost date is October 26, showing when a 28 °F frost is equally likely to have happened or not. A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the lower temperature can affect plants that survive a 32 °F frost. October 3 is the cautious fall date, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier, allowing a gardener to finish harvesting tender crops by that time.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 7" 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 Quinter, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Wakeeney, KS — 20 mi; 2 — Oakley, KS — 38 mi; 3 — Healy, KS — 38 mi; 4 — Plainville, KS — 48 mi; 5 — Colby, KS — 50 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Wakeeney, KS — 20 mi12. Oakley, KS — 38 mi23. Healy, KS — 38 mi34. Plainville, KS — 48 mi45. Colby, KS — 50 mi5
  1. Wakeeney, KS 20 mi (32 km)
  2. Oakley, KS 38 mi (61 km)
  3. Healy, KS 38 mi (61 km)
  4. Plainville, KS 48 mi (77 km)
  5. Colby, KS 50 mi (80 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: 39.0667, -100.2389.