U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00237772 · Missouri

Frost Dates for Sikeston, MO

NOAA weather station Sikeston Power Station (USC00237772), Missouri · elevation 310 ft (95 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 9only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season225 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Sikeston, MOSpring: a frost after March 8 in 9 years out of 10, after March 26 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 21 in 1 year out of 10, before November 6 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 225 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 26First frost ~Nov 6Frost season at Sikeston, MOSpring: a frost after March 8 in 9 years out of 10, after March 26 in half of the years, after April 9 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 21 in 1 year out of 10, before November 6 in half of the years, before November 25 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 225 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 26First frost ~Nov 6
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 9October 21
50% (typical)March 26November 6
90% (likely)March 8November 25
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
225 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 14
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 19

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 23 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 4 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 225 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 Sikeston: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 9, 20% April 5, 30% April 1, 40% March 30, 50% March 26, 60% March 22, 70% March 18, 80% March 14, 90% March 8. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 9Mar 26Mar 82021: April 3Fall at Sikeston: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 21, 20% October 27, 30% October 31, 40% November 3, 50% November 6, 60% November 9, 70% November 13, 80% November 17, 90% November 25. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 14, 2024 November 29, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 21Nov 6Nov 252021: November 142024: November 292025: November 10
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 3November 14
2022incomplete recordincomplete record
2023incomplete recordincomplete record
2024incomplete recordNovember 29
2025incomplete recordNovember 10
2026incomplete recordseason not over yet

What these dates mean

October 21 marks the cautious fall date for finishing the harvest of tender crops in Sikeston; only a 10 % chance exists that a light frost has arrived earlier, while waiting until November 25 would be a gamble with a 90 % chance of frost already present.

In spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 9, when the chance of a light frost later is just 10 %; planting on March 8 carries a 90 % gamble. The 50 % dates—March 26 for spring and November 6 for fall—are the median points at which a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after, providing a reference for the centre of the frost-free window.

A hard frost at 28 °F, represented by the median dates March 14 and November 19, can damage plants that would survive a light frost at 32 °F, making it 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 April 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 21" 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 Sikeston, MONumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cape Girardeau, MO — 24 mi; 2 — Malden, MO — 28 mi; 3 — Jackson, MO — 35 mi; 4 — Union City, TN — 47 mi; 5 — Paducah, KY — 49 mi.MOKYTNILAR25 mi · 40 km1. Cape Girardeau, MO — 24 mi12. Malden, MO — 28 mi23. Jackson, MO — 35 mi34. Union City, TN — 47 mi45. Paducah, KY — 49 mi5
  1. Cape Girardeau, MO 24 mi (39 km)
  2. Malden, MO 28 mi (45 km)
  3. Jackson, MO 35 mi (56 km)
  4. Union City, TN 47 mi (75 km)
  5. Paducah, KY 49 mi (79 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 7b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 36.8775, -89.6231.