NOAA station USC00147305 · Kansas
Frost Dates for Sedan, KS
NOAA weather station Sedan (USC00147305), Kansas · elevation 902 ft (275 m) · hardiness zone 7a*
- Lower-risk planting dateafter April 27only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
- Typical last frostApril 950% chance of a frost after it
- Typical first fall frostOctober 2750% chance of a frost before it
- Frost-free season199 daystypical year, 32°F
- Hardiness zone7acalculated*
The year at a glance
Frost dates (32°F)
| Chance | Last frost in spring after | First frost in fall before |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (unlikely) | April 27 | October 12 |
| 50% (typical) | April 9 | October 27 |
| 90% (likely) | March 24 | November 9 |
- Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
- 199 days
- Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
- March 29
- Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
- November 4
The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)
Typical last frost April 9 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 199 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
What actually happened in recent years
| Year | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | April 22 | November 13 |
| 2022 | April 19 | October 18 |
| 2023 | April 24 | October 30 |
| 2024 | March 29 | October 16 |
| 2025 | April 8 | November 2 |
| 2026 | March 18 | season not over yet |
What these dates mean
The 199 days between the 50% dates in Sedan—April 9 and October 27—enclose the period during which a light frost (32 °F) is less likely than not. Within this span a gardener can plan activities around the dates that carry only a 10 % chance of a frost, using them as the cautious benchmarks for tender crops.
The 50% date of April 9 means there is an even chance of a light frost occurring after that day in spring, while the 50% date of October 27 means there is an even chance of a light frost occurring before that day in fall; these dates are not themselves frost dates. For a cautious plan the spring date to set out tender crops is April 27, and the fall date to finish harvesting them is October 12. A hard frost at 28 °F matters more than a light frost at 32 °F because plants that can survive the milder temperature are often damaged or killed by the colder one.
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 12" 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
- Howard, KS 24 mi (38 km)
- near Bartlesville, OK 27 mi (43 km)
- Independence, KS 27 mi (44 km)
- Mound Valley, KS 40 mi (65 km)
- Winfield, KS 43 mi (70 km)
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00147305
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University — 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS datasets
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 2006–2020 (15-year normals), station USC00147305
- NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network – Daily (GHCN-Daily), observed daily minimum temperature, retrieved 2026-10-08
* 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: 37.1322, -96.18.