U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00127646 · Indiana

Frost Dates for Rushville, IN

NOAA weather station Rushville (USC00127646), Indiana · elevation 948 ft (289 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 5only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season185 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Rushville, INSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23Frost season at Rushville, INSpring: a frost after April 4 in 9 years out of 10, after April 19 in half of the years, after May 5 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 23 in half of the years, before November 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 185 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 19First frost ~Oct 23
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 5October 11
50% (typical)April 19October 23
90% (likely)April 4November 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
185 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 6
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 19 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 24 (1 day later). Frost-free season 187 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 Rushville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 5, 20% April 30, 30% April 26, 40% April 22, 50% April 19, 60% April 16, 70% April 13, 80% April 10, 90% April 4. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 19, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 23, 2025 April 13, 2026 April 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 5Apr 19Apr 42021: April 232022: April 192023: April 252024: April 232025: April 132026: April 21Fall at Rushville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 15, 30% October 18, 40% October 20, 50% October 23, 60% October 25, 70% October 27, 80% October 30, 90% November 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 20, 2023 October 31, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 23Nov 22021: November 32022: October 202023: October 312024: October 172025: October 24
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 23November 3
2022April 19October 20
2023April 25October 31
2024April 23October 17
2025April 13October 24
2026April 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 11 is the cautious fall date in Rushville for finishing the harvest, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is May 5, the point with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later.

The 50 % light-frost dates—April 19 in spring and October 23 in fall—mark the median day when a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not, giving gardeners an even-odds reference. Hard-frost median dates are April 6 and November 1; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so it is a more critical threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 5" 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 11" 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 Rushville, INNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Greensburg, IN — 18 mi; 2 — Shelbyville, IN — 19 mi; 3 — New Castle, IN — 20 mi; 4 — Anderson, IN — 38 mi; 5 — Columbus, IN — 39 mi.INOHKY25 mi · 40 km1. Greensburg, IN — 18 mi12. Shelbyville, IN — 19 mi23. New Castle, IN — 20 mi34. Anderson, IN — 38 mi45. Columbus, IN — 39 mi5
  1. Greensburg, IN 18 mi (29 km)
  2. Shelbyville, IN 19 mi (30 km)
  3. New Castle, IN 20 mi (33 km)
  4. Anderson, IN 38 mi (61 km)
  5. Columbus, IN 39 mi (63 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: 39.6042, -85.4533.