U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00229743 · Mississippi

Frost Dates for Winona, MS

NOAA weather station Winona 5 E (USC00229743), Mississippi · elevation 392 ft (120 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 24only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 750% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season203 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Winona, MSSpring: a frost after March 22 in 9 years out of 10, after April 7 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 7First frost ~Oct 29Frost season at Winona, MSSpring: a frost after March 22 in 9 years out of 10, after April 7 in half of the years, after April 24 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 16 in 1 year out of 10, before October 29 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 7First frost ~Oct 29
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 24October 16
50% (typical)April 7October 29
90% (likely)March 22November 11
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
203 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 26
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 7

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 6 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 31 (2 days later). Frost-free season 207 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 Winona: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 24, 20% April 17, 30% April 14, 40% April 10, 50% April 7, 60% April 4, 70% March 31, 80% March 28, 90% March 22. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 24Apr 7Mar 222021: April 42022: April 102023: March 212024: March 21Fall at Winona: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 16, 20% October 20, 30% October 23, 40% October 26, 50% October 29, 60% October 31, 70% November 2, 80% November 5, 90% November 11. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 19, 2023 October 31, 2024 November 23.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 16Oct 29Nov 112021: November 72022: October 192023: October 312024: November 23
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 4November 7
2022April 10October 19
2023March 21October 31
2024March 21November 23
2025incomplete recordno data
2026no dataseason not over yet

What these dates mean

The 203 days between the 50% dates in Winona—April 7 and October 29—define the interval in which a 32 °F light frost has a fifty-percent chance of having occurred. For a gardener, those 50% dates are reference points that show an even odds of a light frost; they are not themselves frost dates.

The cautious spring date for setting out tender crops is April 24, when the chance of a later light frost is only ten percent, while the March 22 date carries a ninety-percent chance and is a gamble. In the fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 16, with a ten percent chance of an earlier light frost; the October 29 date marks the fifty-percent median, and November 11 carries a ninety-percent chance and is a gamble. The hard-frost median dates are March 26 and November 7, indicating a fifty-percent chance of a 28 °F event. Hard frost matters more than light frost because the lower temperature can freeze plant tissues 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 April 24" 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 16" 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 Winona, MSNumbered nearest stations: 1 — near Greenwood, MS — 27 mi; 2 — near Starkville, MS — 49 mi; 3 — Moorhead, MS — 51 mi; 4 — Philadelphia, MS — 57 mi; 5 — Pontotoc, MS — 58 mi.ALAR25 mi · 40 km1. near Greenwood, MS — 27 mi12. near Starkville, MS — 49 mi23. Moorhead, MS — 51 mi34. Philadelphia, MS — 57 mi45. Pontotoc, MS — 58 mi5
  1. near Greenwood, MS 27 mi (43 km)
  2. near Starkville, MS 49 mi (78 km)
  3. Moorhead, MS 51 mi (82 km)
  4. Philadelphia, MS 57 mi (92 km)
  5. Pontotoc, MS 58 mi (93 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 33.4847, -89.6244.