Frost Dates by ZIP Code

Enter your ZIP code to see your average last spring frost, first fall frost, growing season and USDA hardiness zone. Dates come from NOAA's 1991–2020 climate records for the weather station nearest you.

What your frost dates mean

Your last spring frost date is the point after which a freeze becomes unlikely. Your first fall frost date is when freezes usually return. The days between them are your growing season, the window for tender crops like tomatoes, peppers and squash.

Frost dates are averages, not promises. A frost can still arrive a week or two after your spring date, which is why the tool gives you two dates for each season.

Typical date vs. safer date

For each season you see two dates:

• Typical date: about a 30% chance of frost after the last spring date, or before the first fall date. Most planting guides, including ours, are based on it.
• Safer date (spring) or early date (fall): the risk drops to about 10%. Use it for tender transplants you don't want to cover or replace.

In Albany, New York, for example, the typical last frost is May 2 and the safer date is May 11. Planting tomatoes after May 11 means you rarely need frost cloth.

Frost dates vs. hardiness zones

Your USDA hardiness zone and your frost dates answer different questions:

• Hardiness zone: how cold your winters get, based on the average coldest night of the year. It tells you which perennials, shrubs and trees survive winter where you live.
• Frost dates: when the cold ends in spring and returns in fall. They tell you when to plant vegetables and annuals.

Two towns in the same zone can have frost dates weeks apart, so plan your vegetable garden by frost dates, not by zone alone.

The USDA updated its hardiness map in 2023. The new map is about 2.5 °F warmer on average than the 2012 version, so your zone may have changed by half a step.

How we calculate your dates

1. We find the center of your ZIP code and the closest NOAA weather station with freeze records, usually within 10 miles.
2. We read that station's 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, the official 30-year averages published by NOAA.
3. We report the dates when the temperature has a 30% and a 10% chance of reaching 32 °F.
4. Your zone comes from the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map data, produced by the PRISM Climate Group at Oregon State University.

The tool shows the station's name, distance and elevation so you can judge how close it is to your garden. In the mountains, a station a few miles away can sit hundreds of feet higher or lower than you, and frost dates shift with elevation.

How to use your frost dates

• Start seeds indoors: count back from your last frost date. Tomatoes, for example, go into seed trays about six to eight weeks before transplanting.
• Plant cool-season crops early: lettuce, peas, spinach and broccoli can go out two to six weeks before your last frost.
• Wait for warm-season crops: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash and beans go out after the last frost.
• Plan fall crops: count back from your first fall frost to know your last sowing date.

Frequently asked questions

What is a frost date? It is the average date of the last freeze in spring or the first freeze in fall, when the air temperature drops to 32 °F at a weather station.

Can it frost after my last frost date? Yes. With the typical date there is still about a 30% chance of a later frost. Check the forecast before planting tender crops and keep frost cloth or old sheets handy.

Why can my garden get frost when the forecast says 34 °F? Weather stations measure air temperature several feet above the ground. On clear, calm nights the ground and low plants can get colder than the air above them, especially in low spots where cold air settles.

Why are my dates different from other websites? Sites use different data, station choices and probability levels. Ours come from the latest official NOAA normals, 1991–2020, and we show which station we used and how far away it is.

What if my area never gets frost? In parts of Florida, southern Texas and coastal California frost is rare. The tool will tell you when that is the case. In those areas most vegetables are planted in fall and winter.

Does the tool work for Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico? Not yet. It currently covers the 48 contiguous states.

Know your frost dates? Turn them into a planting schedule. Build your planting calendar