U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00258090 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Springview, NE

NOAA weather station Springview 2 NW (USC00258090), Nebraska · elevation 2388 ft (728 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 23only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 1050% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season143 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Springview, NESpring: a frost after April 28 in 9 years out of 10, after May 10 in half of the years, after May 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 143 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 10First frost ~Oct 1Frost season at Springview, NESpring: a frost after April 28 in 9 years out of 10, after May 10 in half of the years, after May 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 18 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 143 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 10First frost ~Oct 1
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 23September 18
50% (typical)May 10October 1
90% (likely)April 28October 14
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
143 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 1
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 10 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 3 (2 days later). Frost-free season 144 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 Springview: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 23, 20% May 19, 30% May 16, 40% May 12, 50% May 10, 60% May 7, 70% May 5, 80% May 2, 90% April 28. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 3, 2024 May 4, 2025 April 23.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 23May 10Apr 282021: May 122022: May 232023: May 32024: May 42025: April 23Fall at Springview: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 18, 20% September 23, 30% September 26, 40% September 29, 50% October 1, 60% October 3, 70% October 6, 80% October 10, 90% October 14. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 14, 2022 October 7, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 2, 2025 October 19.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 18Oct 1Oct 142021: October 142022: October 72023: October 72024: October 22025: 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
2021May 12October 14
2022May 23October 7
2023May 3October 7
2024May 4October 2
2025April 23October 19
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on the early spring date of April 28 in Springview carries a 90 % chance that a light frost will still occur later, making it a high-risk gamble for gardeners.

The 50 % light-frost dates, May 10 in spring and October 1 in fall, represent the point at which there is an even chance of a frost occurring, so they mark the median of the frost probability curve for this station. A cautious plan uses the later spring date of May 23, when only a 10 % chance of a later frost remains, and the early fall date of September 18, when there is only a 10 % chance that a frost has already arrived, to schedule the out-planting and final harvest of tender crops.

Hard frost at 28 °F matters more than light frost at 32 °F because the lower temperature can damage or kill plants that would survive the milder 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 23" 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 September 18" 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 Springview, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Ainsworth, NE — 20 mi; 2 — Newport, NE — 28 mi; 3 — Gregory, SD — 32 mi; 4 — near Valentine, NE — 39 mi; 5 — Atkinson, NE — 44 mi.NESD25 mi · 40 km1. Ainsworth, NE — 20 mi12. Newport, NE — 28 mi23. Gregory, SD — 32 mi34. near Valentine, NE — 39 mi45. Atkinson, NE — 44 mi5
  1. Ainsworth, NE 20 mi (33 km)
  2. Newport, NE 28 mi (45 km)
  3. Gregory, SD 32 mi (52 km)
  4. near Valentine, NE 39 mi (63 km)
  5. Atkinson, NE 44 mi (71 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 42.8389, -99.7781.