U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00147271 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Scott City, KS

NOAA weather station Scott City (USC00147271), Kansas · elevation 2974 ft (907 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 13only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 3050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season167 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Scott City, KSSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 30 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 30First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Scott City, KSSpring: a frost after April 14 in 9 years out of 10, after April 30 in half of the years, after May 13 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 1 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 26 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 30First frost ~Oct 15
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 27 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 13October 1
50% (typical)April 30October 15
90% (likely)April 14October 26
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
167 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 23

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 28 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 18 (3 days later). Frost-free season 173 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 Scott City: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 13, 20% May 8, 30% May 5, 40% May 2, 50% April 30, 60% April 27, 70% April 23, 80% April 20, 90% April 14. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 24, 2022 April 26, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 12, 2025 April 16, 2026 April 19.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 13Apr 30Apr 142021: April 242022: April 262023: April 272024: April 122025: April 162026: April 19Fall at Scott City: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 1, 20% October 5, 30% October 8, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 18, 70% October 20, 80% October 23, 90% October 26. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 October 17, 2023 October 16, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 1Oct 15Oct 262021: October 162022: October 172023: October 162024: October 162025: 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
2021April 24October 16
2022April 26October 17
2023April 27October 16
2024April 12October 16
2025April 16October 19
2026April 19season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on the early spring date of April 14 in Scott City carries a 90% chance that a light frost will occur later, making it a high-risk choice for sensitive seedlings.

The 50% spring date is April 30; there is a 50% chance of a frost later than this date. The 50% fall date is October 15, when there is a 50% chance of a frost earlier than this date. A cautious planting schedule would wait until the May 13 date, which has only a 10% chance of a later frost, and would aim to finish harvesting tender crops by the October 1 date, which also carries only a 10% chance of an earlier frost.

Hard frost at 28 °F is more damaging than a light frost at 32 °F because the lower temperature can freeze plant tissue that survives the milder chill.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 13" 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 1" 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 Scott City, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Healy, KS — 18 mi; 2 — near Garden City, KS — 34 mi; 3 — Garden City (Airport), KS — 39 mi; 4 — Lakin, KS — 41 mi; 5 — Oakley, KS — 44 mi.CO25 mi · 40 km1. Healy, KS — 18 mi12. near Garden City, KS — 34 mi23. Garden City (Airport), KS — 39 mi34. Lakin, KS — 41 mi45. Oakley, KS — 44 mi5
  1. Healy, KS 18 mi (29 km)
  2. near Garden City, KS 34 mi (54 km)
  3. Garden City (Airport), KS 39 mi (63 km)
  4. Lakin, KS 41 mi (66 km)
  5. Oakley, KS 44 mi (71 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: 38.4747, -100.9175.