U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00258915 · Nebraska

Frost Dates for Wakefield, NE

NOAA weather station Wakefield (USC00258915), Nebraska · elevation 1408 ft (429 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 18only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season148 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Wakefield, NESpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 148 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 5First frost ~Oct 1Frost season at Wakefield, NESpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 18 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 1 in half of the years, before October 15 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 148 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 5First 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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 18September 17
50% (typical)May 5October 1
90% (likely)April 24October 15
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
148 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 28
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 11

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 5 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 7 (6 days later). Frost-free season 154 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 Wakefield: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 18, 20% May 13, 30% May 10, 40% May 7, 50% May 5, 60% May 3, 70% May 1, 80% April 29, 90% April 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2023 May 4, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 22, 2026 May 7.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 18May 5Apr 242021: May 122023: May 42024: April 222025: April 222026: May 7Fall at Wakefield: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 17, 20% September 22, 30% September 25, 40% September 28, 50% October 1, 60% October 4, 70% October 6, 80% October 11, 90% October 15. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2022 October 7, 2023 October 7, 2024 October 7, 2025 October 22.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Sep 17Oct 1Oct 152022: October 72023: October 72024: October 72025: October 22
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 12incomplete record
2022incomplete recordOctober 7
2023May 4October 7
2024April 22October 7
2025April 22October 22
2026May 7season not over yet

What these dates mean

Planting tender crops on April 24 in Wakefield carries a 90% chance of a light frost later that season, so an early start is a gamble. The 50% date for spring light frost is May 5, marking the point where the odds of a frost later are even. The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is May 18, when only a 10% chance remains that a light frost will occur after that day.

For fall, the 50% date for light frost is October 1, the moment when the odds of a frost arriving earlier are balanced. The cautious fall date to finish harvesting tender crops is September 17, with only a 10% chance that a light frost has already begun. The hard-frost 50% dates are April 28 in spring and October 11 in fall, and a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F because it reaches a lower temperature threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 18" 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 17" 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 Wakefield, NENumbered nearest stations: 1 — Wayne, NE — 8 mi; 2 — near Sioux City, IA — 26 mi; 3 — West Point, NE — 30 mi; 4 — Hartington, NE — 32 mi; 5 — Vermillion, SD — 35 mi.NEIASD25 mi · 40 km1. Wayne, NE — 8 mi12. near Sioux City, IA — 26 mi23. West Point, NE — 30 mi34. Hartington, NE — 32 mi45. Vermillion, SD — 35 mi5
  1. Wayne, NE 8 mi (12 km)
  2. near Sioux City, IA 26 mi (42 km)
  3. West Point, NE 30 mi (48 km)
  4. Hartington, NE 32 mi (51 km)
  5. Vermillion, SD 35 mi (56 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: 42.2619, -96.8636.