U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00338951 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Westerville, OH

NOAA weather station Westerville (USC00338951), Ohio · elevation 802 ft (244 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2450% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season183 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Westerville, OHSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 24Frost season at Westerville, OHSpring: a frost after April 9 in 9 years out of 10, after April 22 in half of the years, after May 10 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 10 in 1 year out of 10, before October 24 in half of the years, before November 5 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 183 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 22First frost ~Oct 24
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 10October 10
50% (typical)April 22October 24
90% (likely)April 9November 5
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
183 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 3

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 22 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 26 (2 days later). Frost-free season 187 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 Westerville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 10, 20% May 2, 30% April 28, 40% April 24, 50% April 22, 60% April 20, 70% April 17, 80% April 13, 90% April 9. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 20, 2023 April 27, 2024 April 25, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 10Apr 22Apr 92021: April 232022: April 202023: April 272024: April 252025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Westerville: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 10, 20% October 14, 30% October 18, 40% October 21, 50% October 24, 60% October 26, 70% October 30, 80% November 1, 90% November 5. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 3, 2022 October 8, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 17, 2025 October 25.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 10Oct 24Nov 52021: November 32022: October 82023: October 232024: October 172025: October 25
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 23November 3
2022April 20October 8
2023April 27October 23
2024April 25October 17
2025April 17October 25
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

Setting out tender crops on April 9 in Westerville carries a 90 % chance of a light frost later, making that early choice a gamble.

The 50 % date is April 22, meaning a gardener has an even chance of a frost on either side of that day, while the 50 % date is October 24 for the fall season. For a cautious plan, the spring light-frost date of May 10 (10 % chance of frost later) is used to start tender crops, and the fall light-frost date of October 10 (10 % chance of frost earlier) marks the safe window to finish harvesting them.

The 50 % hard-frost date is April 9 in spring and November 3 in fall; hard frosts at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so they are a greater concern for 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 May 10" 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 10" 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 Westerville, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Columbus, OH — 10 mi; 2 — Marysville, OH — 18 mi; 3 — Centerburg, OH — 19 mi; 4 — Newark, OH — 28 mi; 5 — Marion, OH — 35 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. near Columbus, OH — 10 mi12. Marysville, OH — 18 mi23. Centerburg, OH — 19 mi34. Newark, OH — 28 mi45. Marion, OH — 35 mi5
  1. near Columbus, OH 10 mi (16 km)
  2. Marysville, OH 18 mi (28 km)
  3. Centerburg, OH 19 mi (31 km)
  4. Newark, OH 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Marion, OH 35 mi (57 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: 40.1267, -82.9442.