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Frost Dates
This table shows the average last frost in spring, the first frost in autumn and the length of the growing season for selected U.S. cities.
| Alabama |
|
|
|
| Birmingham |
Mar 29 |
Nov 6 |
221 days |
| Mobile |
Feb 27 |
Nov 26 |
272 days |
| Alaska |
|
|
|
| Junesu |
May 16 |
Sep 28 |
133 days |
| Arizona |
|
|
|
| Flagstaff |
Jun 13 |
Sep 21 |
99 days |
| Phoenix |
Feb 5 |
Dec 15 |
308 days |
| Tucson |
Feb 28 |
Nov 29 |
273 days |
| Arkansas |
|
|
|
| Fayetteville |
April 21 |
Oct 17 |
179 days |
| Little Rock |
Mar 23 |
Nov 9 |
230 days |
| Pine Bluff |
Mar 19 |
Nov 8 |
234 days |
| California |
|
|
|
| Eureka |
Jan 30 |
Dec 15 |
324 days |
| Fresno |
Feb 22 |
Nov 25 |
273 days |
| Sacramento |
Feb 14 |
Dec 1 |
289 days |
| San Bernardino |
Feb 23 |
Dec 8 |
294 days |
| San Francisco |
Jan 8 |
Jan 5 |
362 days |
| San Jose |
Jan 22 |
Dec 25 |
338 days |
| Santa Rosa |
Mar 25 |
Nov 19 |
236 days |
| Colorado |
|
|
|
| Denver |
May 3 |
Oct 8 |
157 days |
| Durango |
June 4 |
Sep 18 |
105 days |
| Connecticut |
|
|
|
| Hartford |
Apr 25 |
Oct 10 |
167 days |
| New Haven |
Apr 15 |
Oct 27 |
195 days |
| Delaware |
|
|
|
| Wilmington |
Apr 13 |
Oct 29 |
198 days |
| D.C. |
|
|
|
| Washington |
Apr 10 |
Oct 31 |
203 days |
| Florida |
|
|
|
| Avon Park |
Mar 1 |
Dec 6 |
282 days |
| Ft. Lauderdale |
Feb 1 |
Jan 16 |
350 days |
| Gainesville |
Mar 29 |
Nov 5 |
221 days |
| Jacksonville |
Feb 14 |
Nov 16 |
303 days |
| Orlando |
Jan 31 |
Dec 17 |
320 days |
| Tallahassee |
Mar 12 |
Nov 14 |
246 days |
| Tampa |
Feb 25 |
Dec 3 |
338 days |
| Georgia |
|
|
|
| Athens |
Mar 28 |
Nov 8 |
224 days |
| Atlanta |
Mar 13 |
Nov 12 |
243 days |
| Savannah |
Mar 10 |
Nov 15 |
250 days |
| Idaho |
|
|
|
| Boise |
May 8 |
Oct 9 |
153 days |
| Pocatello |
May 20 |
Sep 20 |
122 |
| Illinois |
|
|
|
| Chicago |
Apr 14 |
Nov 2 |
201 days |
| Springfield |
Apr 17 |
Oct 19 |
185 days |
| Indiana |
|
|
|
| Indianapolis |
Apr 22 |
Oct 20 |
180 days |
| South Bend |
May 1 |
Oct 18 |
169 days |
| Iowa |
|
|
|
| Cedar Rapids |
Apr 29 |
Oct 7 |
161 days |
| Des Moines |
Apr 19 |
Oct 17 |
180 days |
| Kansas |
|
|
|
| Manhattan |
April 23 |
Oct 16 |
176 days |
| Topeka |
Apr 21 |
Oct 14 |
175 days |
| Wichita |
Apr 13 |
Oct 23 |
193 days |
| Kentucky |
|
|
|
| Lexington |
Apr 17 |
Oct 25 |
190 days |
| Louisville |
Apr 1 |
Nov 7 |
220 days |
| Louisiana |
|
|
|
| Monroe |
Mar 9 |
Nov 7 |
242 days |
| New Orleans |
Feb 20 |
Dec 5 |
288 days |
| Maine |
|
|
|
| Portland |
May 10 |
Sep 30 |
143 days |
| Maryland |
|
|
|
| Baltimore |
Mar 26 |
Nov 13 |
231 days |
| Massachusetts |
|
|
|
| Amherst |
May 9 |
Sep 29 |
142 days |
| /Boston |
Apr 6 |
Nov 10 |
217 days |
| Worcester |
Apr 27 |
Oct 17 |
172 days |
| Michigan |
|
|
|
| Detroit |
Apr 24 |
Oct 22 |
181 days |
| Lansing |
May 13 |
Sep 30 |
140 days |
| Marquette |
May 12 |
Oct 19 |
159 days |
| Minnesota |
|
|
|
| Duluth |
May 21 |
Sep 21 |
122 days |
| Minneapolis |
Apr 30 |
Oct 13 |
166 days |
| Mississippi |
|
|
|
| Columbus |
Mar 27 |
Oct 29 |
215 days |
| Jackson |
Mar 17 |
Nov 9 |
236 days |
| Vicksburg |
Mar 13 |
Nov 18 |
250 days |
| Missouri |
|
|
|
| Jefferson City |
Apr 28 |
Oct 16 |
173 days |
| St. Louis |
Apr 3 |
Nov 6 |
217 days |
| Montana |
|
|
|
| Billings |
May 12 |
Sep 23 |
133 days |
| Helena |
May 18 |
Sep 18 |
122 days |
| Nebraska |
|
|
|
| Lincoln |
Mar 13 |
Nov 13 |
180 days |
| Nevada |
|
|
|
| Las Vegas |
Mar 7 |
Nov 21 |
259 days |
| New Hampshire |
|
|
|
| Concord |
May 23 |
Sep 22 |
121 days |
| New Jersey |
|
|
|
| Newark |
Apr 4 |
Nov 10 |
219 days |
| Trenton |
Apr 6 |
Nov 7 |
214 days |
| New Mexico |
|
|
|
| Albuquerque |
Apr 16 |
Oct 29 |
196 days |
| Los Alamos |
May 8 |
Oct 13 |
157 days |
| New York |
|
|
|
| Albany |
May 7 |
Sep 29 |
144 days |
| New York |
Apr 1 |
Nov 11 |
233 days |
| Rochester |
May 3 |
Oct 15 |
164 days |
| Syracuse |
Apr 28 |
Oct 16 |
170 days |
| North Carolina |
|
|
|
| Asheville |
Apr 10 |
Oct 24 |
195 days |
| Charlotte |
Mar 21 |
Nov 15 |
239 days |
| Fayetteville |
Apr 2 |
Oct 31 |
212 days |
| Raleigh |
Apr 11 |
Oct 27 |
198 days |
| North Dakota |
|
|
|
| Bismarck |
May 14 |
Sep 20 |
129 days |
| Fargo |
May 13 |
Sep 27 |
137 days |
| Ohio |
|
|
|
| Akron |
May 3 |
Oct 18 |
168 days |
| Cincinnati |
Apr 14 |
Oct 27 |
195 days |
| Columbus |
Apr 26 |
Oct 17 |
173 days |
| Oklahoma |
|
|
|
| Oklahoma City |
Mar 28 |
Nov 7 |
224 days |
| Tulsa |
Mar 30 |
Nov 4 |
218 days |
| Oregon |
|
|
|
| Portland |
Apr 3 |
Nov 7 |
217 days |
| Pennsylvania |
|
|
|
| Pittsburgh |
Apr 16 |
Nov 3 |
201 days |
| State College |
Apr 27 |
Oct 15 |
170 days |
| Rhode Island |
|
|
|
| Kingston |
May 8 |
Sep 30 |
144 days |
| South Carolina |
|
|
|
| Charleston |
Mar 11 |
Nov 20 |
253 days |
| Columbia |
Apr 4 |
Nov 2 |
211 days |
| South Dakota |
|
|
|
| Rapid City |
May 7 |
Sep 29 |
145 days |
| Tennessee |
|
|
|
| Memphis |
Mar 23 |
Nov 7 |
228 days |
| Nashville |
Apr 5 |
Oct 29 |
207 days |
| Texas |
|
|
|
| Dallas |
Mar 18 |
Nov 12 |
239 days |
| Houston |
Feb 4 |
Dec 10 |
309 days |
| San Antonio |
Mar 3 |
Nov 24 |
265 days |
| Utah |
|
|
|
| Salt Lake |
Apr 12 |
Nov 1 |
203 days |
| Vermont |
|
|
|
| Burlington |
May 11 |
Oct 1 |
142 days |
| Virginia |
|
|
|
| Norfolk |
Mar 23 |
Nov 17 |
239 days |
| Richmond |
Apr 10 |
Oct 26 |
198 days |
| Washington |
|
|
|
| Seattle |
Mar 24 |
Nov 11 |
232 days |
| Spokane |
May 4 |
Oct 5 |
153 days |
| West Virginia |
|
|
|
| Parkersburg |
Apr 25 |
Oct 18 |
175 days |
| Wisconsin |
| Green Bay |
May 12 |
Oct 2 |
143 days |
| Milwaukee |
May 5 |
Oct 9 |
156 days |
| Wyoming |
|
|
|
| Casper |
May 22 |
Sep 22 |
123 days |
| Cheyenne |
May 20 |
Sep 27 |
130 days |
The chart below shows the last and first frost dates for each USDA Hardiness Zone. This information is useful both in terms of knowing when to sow seeds as well as figuring out how late in the season you can plant perennials, trees, and shrubs.
Please note that the dates on this chart are approximate. Most years, the first and last frost will fall within two weeks of the date on the chart, but some years, we get a very early frost or a late snow storm that throws the dates off. Use your discretion (and your local weather forecast!) along with this chart to plan your seed starting and planting.
First and Last Frost Dates, by Hardiness Zone
| USDA Hardiness Zone |
First Frost Date |
Last Frost Date |
| 1 |
July 15th |
June 15th |
| 2 |
August 15th |
May 15th |
| 3 |
September 15th |
May 15th |
| 4 |
September 15th |
May 15th |
| 5 |
October 15th |
April 15th |
| 6 |
October 15th |
April 15th |
| 7 |
October 15th |
April 15th |
| 8 |
November 15th |
March 15th |
| 9 |
December 15th |
February 15th |
| 10 |
December 15th |
January 31st (sometimes earlier) |
11 |
No frost |
No frost |
Chart provided by: About.com Organic Gardening
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