U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00093824 · Ohio

Frost Dates for Zanesville, OH

NOAA weather station Zanesville Municipal Airport (USW00093824), Ohio · elevation 880 ft (268 m) · hardiness zone 6b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 14only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 2650% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 1950% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season177 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone6bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Zanesville, OHSpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 177 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 19Frost season at Zanesville, OHSpring: a frost after April 11 in 9 years out of 10, after April 26 in half of the years, after May 14 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 19 in half of the years, before October 31 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 177 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 26First frost ~Oct 19
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 14October 6
50% (typical)April 26October 19
90% (likely)April 11October 31
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
177 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 13
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 31

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 24 (2 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 23 (4 days later). Frost-free season 180 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 Zanesville: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 14, 20% May 7, 30% May 3, 40% April 30, 50% April 26, 60% April 23, 70% April 20, 80% April 16, 90% April 11. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 12, 2022 April 28, 2023 April 25, 2024 April 22, 2025 April 17, 2026 May 3.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1May 14Apr 26Apr 112021: May 122022: April 282023: April 252024: April 222025: April 172026: May 3Fall at Zanesville: 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 16, 50% October 19, 60% October 21, 70% October 24, 80% October 28, 90% October 31. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 2, 2022 October 9, 2023 October 23, 2024 October 16, 2025 October 24.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 19Oct 312021: November 22022: October 92023: October 232024: October 162025: October 24
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 12November 2
2022April 28October 9
2023April 25October 23
2024April 22October 16
2025April 17October 24
2026May 3season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 177 days between the 50% light-frost dates in Zanesville—April 26 in spring and October 19 in fall—enclose the period when a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not. For a gardener this median point signals that the risk of a 32 °F frost is balanced, while dates outside the interval carry higher odds one way or the other.

A cautious approach to tender crops would hold off planting until the late-spring 10 % chance date of May 14 and would aim to finish harvesting by the early-fall 10 % chance date of October 6, because those dates carry only a ten-percent likelihood of a light frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall).

Hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so the 50% hard-frost dates—April 13 in spring and October 31 in fall—are especially significant.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after May 14" 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 Zanesville, OHNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cambridge, OH — 17 mi; 2 — New Lexington, OH — 23 mi; 3 — Newark, OH — 29 mi; 4 — Danville, OH — 40 mi; 5 — Millersburg, OH — 41 mi.OHWVPA25 mi · 40 km1. Cambridge, OH — 17 mi12. New Lexington, OH — 23 mi23. Newark, OH — 29 mi34. Danville, OH — 40 mi45. Millersburg, OH — 41 mi5
  1. Cambridge, OH 17 mi (28 km)
  2. New Lexington, OH 23 mi (36 km)
  3. Newark, OH 29 mi (47 km)
  4. Danville, OH 40 mi (65 km)
  5. Millersburg, OH 41 mi (66 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: 39.9444, -81.8922.