NOAA station USC00338025 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Steubenville, OH

NOAA weather station Steubenville (USC00338025), Ohio · elevation 992 ft (302 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 15only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Steubenville, OHSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Steubenville, OHSpring: a frost after April 16 in 9 years out of 10, after April 29 in half of the years, after May 15 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 1 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 175 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 29First frost ~Oct 20
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 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 15October 6
50% (typical)April 29October 20
90% (likely)April 16November 1
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
175 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 18
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 25 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (5 days later). Frost-free season 183 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 Steubenville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 15, 20% May 8, 30% May 5, 40% May 1, 50% April 29, 60% April 26, 70% April 23, 80% April 20, 90% April 16. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2023 May 10, 2025 April 18, 2026 May 4.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1May 15Apr 29Apr 162023: May 102025: April 182026: May 4Fall at Steubenville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 22, 70% October 25, 80% October 28, 90% November 1. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 6, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 27, 2025 November 7.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 20Nov 12022: October 62023: October 232024: October 272025: November 7
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 recordincomplete record
2022incomplete recordOctober 6
2023May 10October 23
2024incomplete recordOctober 27
2025April 18November 7
2026May 4season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 16 in Steubenville is a gamble, because there is a 90% chance of a light frost later. The cautious spring date for tender crops is May 15, which carries only a 10% chance of a light frost after it.

In the fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 6, with a 10% chance of a light frost earlier. October 20 is the 50% date; a light frost has a 50% chance of occurring earlier, and November 1 is a gamble with a 90% chance of frost earlier.

April 29 and October 20 are the 50% dates, marking equal odds of frost later in spring or earlier in fall. The hard-frost dates, April 18 and October 31, matter more because a 28°F freeze can damage plants that survive a 32°F 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 15" 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 6" 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 Steubenville, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Wheeling, WV — 16 mi; 2 — near Industry, PA — 23 mi; 3 — Pittsburgh, PA — 23 mi; 4 — Moundsville, WV — 33 mi; 5 — Dennison, OH — 38 mi.PAWV25 mi · 40 km1. near Wheeling, WV — 16 mi12. near Industry, PA — 23 mi23. Pittsburgh, PA — 23 mi34. Moundsville, WV — 33 mi45. Dennison, OH — 38 mi5
  1. near Wheeling, WV 16 mi (26 km)
  2. near Industry, PA 23 mi (36 km)
  3. Pittsburgh, PA 23 mi (37 km)
  4. Moundsville, WV 33 mi (53 km)
  5. Dennison, OH 38 mi (61 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 6b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 40.3764, -80.6283.