U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00349364 · Oklahoma

Frost Dates for Watonga, OK

NOAA weather station Watonga (USC00349364), Oklahoma · elevation 1530 ft (466 m) · hardiness zone 7b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 29only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1450% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2750% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season194 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone7bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Watonga, OKSpring: a frost after March 30 in 9 years out of 10, after April 14 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 194 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 14First frost ~Oct 27Frost season at Watonga, OKSpring: a frost after March 30 in 9 years out of 10, after April 14 in half of the years, after April 29 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 11 in 1 year out of 10, before October 27 in half of the years, before November 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 194 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 14First frost ~Oct 27
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 29October 11
50% (typical)April 14October 27
90% (likely)March 30November 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
194 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 3
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 4

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 15 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 26 (1 day earlier). Frost-free season 193 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 Watonga: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 29, 20% April 24, 30% April 20, 40% April 17, 50% April 14, 60% April 11, 70% April 7, 80% April 3, 90% March 30. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 21, 2022 April 27, 2023 April 24, 2024 March 29, 2025 April 8, 2026 March 17.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 29Apr 14Mar 302021: April 212022: April 272023: April 242024: March 292025: April 82026: March 17Fall at Watonga: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 11, 20% October 17, 30% October 21, 40% October 24, 50% October 27, 60% October 29, 70% November 1, 80% November 4, 90% November 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 30, 2022 October 18, 2023 October 29, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 30.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 11Oct 27Nov 82021: October 302022: October 182023: October 292024: October 162025: October 30
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 21October 30
2022April 27October 18
2023April 24October 29
2024March 29October 16
2025April 8October 30
2026March 17season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date for finishing the harvest in Watonga is October 11, when there is only a 10 % chance a light frost has arrived earlier. In spring, the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 29, which carries a 10 % chance of a frost later than that day.

For a gardener, the 50 % dates mark the points at which light-frost risk is even: April 14 for spring and October 27 for fall. Those dates are not frost dates themselves, but they indicate the median odds of a frost occurring after or before them.

Hard-frost risk is tracked with separate 50 % dates: April 3 in spring and November 4 in fall. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F, so its timing is especially important for protecting tender crops.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 29" 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 11" 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 Watonga, OKNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Helena, OK — 48 mi; 2 — Enid, OK — 49 mi; 3 — Mutual, OK — 49 mi; 4 — near Oklahoma City, OK — 56 mi; 5 — Blanchard, OK — 66 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Helena, OK — 48 mi12. Enid, OK — 49 mi23. Mutual, OK — 49 mi34. near Oklahoma City, OK — 56 mi45. Blanchard, OK — 66 mi5
  1. Helena, OK 48 mi (77 km)
  2. Enid, OK 49 mi (79 km)
  3. Mutual, OK 49 mi (79 km)
  4. near Oklahoma City, OK 56 mi (90 km)
  5. Blanchard, OK 66 mi (106 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: 35.8578, -98.4139.