U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00147397 · Kansas

Frost Dates for Sharon Springs, KS

NOAA weather station Sharon Springs (USC00147397), Kansas · elevation 3450 ft (1052 m) · hardiness zone 6a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1550% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season168 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Sharon Springs, KSSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 28 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 168 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 28First frost ~Oct 15Frost season at Sharon Springs, KSSpring: a frost after April 13 in 9 years out of 10, after April 28 in half of the years, after May 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 3 in 1 year out of 10, before October 15 in half of the years, before October 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 168 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 28First 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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 9October 3
50% (typical)April 28October 15
90% (likely)April 13October 25
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
168 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 17
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 22

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 29 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 16 (1 day later). Frost-free season 169 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 Sharon Springs: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 9, 20% May 5, 30% May 2, 40% April 30, 50% April 28, 60% April 25, 70% April 22, 80% April 18, 90% April 13. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2023 April 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 9Apr 28Apr 132023: April 29Fall at Sharon Springs: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 3, 20% October 7, 30% October 10, 40% October 12, 50% October 15, 60% October 17, 70% October 19, 80% October 22, 90% October 25. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2023 October 14.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 3Oct 15Oct 252023: October 14
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 recordno data
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023April 29October 14
2024incomplete recordincomplete record
2025no dataincomplete record
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

May 9 is the cautious spring date for light frost in Sharon Springs; with only a 10 % chance of frost later, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops after this point. The early spring date of April 13 carries a 90 % chance of frost later and should be treated as a gamble.

The 50% date is April 28, which marks the median point where a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not yet occurred; similarly, the 50% date is October 15 in fall. The cautious fall date is October 3, with only a 10 % chance that a frost has arrived earlier, making it the date to finish harvesting tender crops. The 50% hard-frost dates are April 17 and October 22, and hard frost matters more because its lower temperature can cause more severe damage to plants than a light frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 9" 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 Sharon Springs, KSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Tribune, KS — 30 mi; 2 — Goodland, KS — 33 mi; 3 — Brewster, KS — 36 mi; 4 — Burlington, CO — 39 mi; 5 — Oakley, KS — 46 mi.KSCO25 mi · 40 km1. Tribune, KS — 30 mi12. Goodland, KS — 33 mi23. Brewster, KS — 36 mi34. Burlington, CO — 39 mi45. Oakley, KS — 46 mi5
  1. Tribune, KS 30 mi (48 km)
  2. Goodland, KS 33 mi (53 km)
  3. Brewster, KS 36 mi (59 km)
  4. Burlington, CO 39 mi (63 km)
  5. Oakley, KS 46 mi (74 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: 38.8961, -101.7514.