U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00257040 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Ravenna, NE

NOAA weather station Ravenna (USC00257040), Nebraska · elevation 2046 ft (624 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 18only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season150 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Ravenna, NESpring: a frost after April 23 in 9 years out of 10, after May 4 in half of the years, after May 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 22 in 1 year out of 10, before October 3 in half of the years, before October 16 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 150 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 4First frost ~Oct 3Frost season at Ravenna, NESpring: a frost after April 23 in 9 years out of 10, after May 4 in half of the years, after May 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 22 in 1 year out of 10, before October 3 in half of the years, before October 16 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 150 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 4First frost ~Oct 3
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 18September 22
50% (typical)May 4October 3
90% (likely)April 23October 16
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
150 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 27
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 12

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 5 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 7 (4 days later). Frost-free season 155 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 Ravenna: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 18, 20% May 12, 30% May 9, 40% May 6, 50% May 4, 60% May 2, 70% April 30, 80% April 27, 90% April 23. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 13, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 4, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 22, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 18May 4Apr 232021: May 132022: May 232023: May 42024: April 252025: April 222026: May 3Fall at Ravenna: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 22, 20% September 26, 30% September 29, 40% October 1, 50% October 3, 60% October 6, 70% October 8, 80% October 12, 90% October 16. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 14, 2025 October 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 22Oct 3Oct 162021: October 142022: October 82023: October 72024: October 142025: October 19
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
2021May 13October 14
2022May 23October 8
2023May 4October 7
2024April 25October 14
2025April 22October 19
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

There are 150 days between the 32°F 50% dates in Ravenna, May 4 and October 3, and within that span gardeners can grow tender crops under relatively mild nighttime temperatures. The 50% dates simply mark the point where a light frost is as likely as not; they are not themselves frost dates. The median hard-frost dates are April 27 in spring and October 12 in fall, when a temperature of 28 °F becomes even-odds.

For a cautious spring plan, gardeners should wait until the late-date of May 18, which carries only a 10 % chance of a light frost later. In fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 22, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has already arrived. A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the colder 28 °F temperature can cause more severe damage to plant tissue.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 18" 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 September 22" 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 Ravenna, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Kearney, NE — 22 mi; 2 — Grand Island, NE — 32 mi; 3 — Minden, NE — 36 mi; 4 — Hastings, NE — 39 mi; 5 — Greeley, NE — 41 mi.NE25 mi · 40 km1. Kearney, NE — 22 mi12. Grand Island, NE — 32 mi23. Minden, NE — 36 mi34. Hastings, NE — 39 mi45. Greeley, NE — 41 mi5
  1. Kearney, NE 22 mi (35 km)
  2. Grand Island, NE 32 mi (52 km)
  3. Minden, NE 36 mi (57 km)
  4. Hastings, NE 39 mi (62 km)
  5. Greeley, NE 41 mi (66 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 41.0319, -98.9214.