Type your city or state to find your average last spring frost date, first fall frost date, growing season length, and USDA hardiness zone.
Your last spring frost date and first fall frost date are the two most important numbers in vegetable gardening. Every seed packet, every planting guide, and every sowing calendar is built around them.
Get them wrong and you risk losing tender seedlings to a late freeze — or watching your tomatoes get killed by an early autumn frost before they've fully ripened.
The dates shown here are calculated from 30-year NOAA climate normals (1991–2020) — the same dataset used by the USDA, Cooperative Extension Services, and most professional growers across the US and Canada. The 50% date is the statistical average: half the years in the dataset recorded their last frost before that date, half after.
Because frost is never perfectly predictable, we also show the 10% safest date (almost certainly frost-free) and the 90% earliest date (for gardeners willing to take a calculated risk with row cover protection).
Below the lookup tool you'll find a full frost tolerance planting guide showing which vegetables are hardy enough to plant before last frost and which must wait, a USDA hardiness zone reference table, and answers to the most common questions about using frost dates in your garden planning.
Search by city name or US state abbreviation. Results include last spring frost, first fall frost, growing season length, and probability ranges.
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Frost dates are the average calendar dates of the last spring frost and the first fall frost for a given location. They are calculated from decades of weather station data and represent the statistical midpoint — meaning there is roughly a 50% chance of frost before or after that date in any given year.
These two dates define your growing season — the frost-free window in which tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and squash can grow outdoors without protection. Cold-hardy crops like kale, peas, and broccoli can push outside this window, but warm-season vegetables cannot survive a hard freeze.
The dates in this tool are based on 30-year NOAA climate normals (1991–2020) sourced from official weather stations across the US and Canada — the same dataset used by the USDA, Cooperative Extension Services, and most professional growers.
Your last spring frost date is the average final date each year when air temperatures at ground level drop to or below 32°F (0°C). After this date, the probability of frost decreases significantly — but frost can still occur, especially in low-lying areas, on clear calm nights, and at higher elevations.
The 50% average date shown in this tool means there is still a 1-in-2 chance of frost after that date in any given year. For cold-sensitive crops like tomatoes, basil, and peppers, most gardeners wait until the 10% safest date (about 2–3 weeks later) before transplanting outdoors — especially without row cover protection.
Important note on probability
A frost date is not a guarantee — it is a statistical average. Climate variability, local microclimates, urban heat effects, and year-to-year weather patterns all mean actual frost dates can vary by 2–4 weeks from the historical average. Always monitor your local 10-day forecast around your frost date window.
Knowing your last frost date is the foundation of seasonal vegetable planning. It tells you:
When to start seeds indoors
Count backwards from your last frost date. Tomatoes need 6–8 weeks indoors, peppers 10–12 weeks, courgettes 3–4 weeks. Get this wrong and you transplant too early (frost damage) or too late (lost growing season).
When it's safe to transplant outdoors
Tender seedlings started indoors must wait until after your last frost date — and should be hardened off for 7–10 days first by gradually increasing outdoor exposure.
Which crops need season extension tools
In Zone 5 or colder, a last frost date of May 1 or later makes it difficult to grow long-season crops like peppers and melons without cold frames, row covers, or a greenhouse head start.
How to time succession sowings
Fast-maturing crops like lettuce, radishes, and spinach can be sown in several batches starting weeks before last frost right through the season for a continuous harvest.
Whether a crop variety suits your season
A tomato variety needing 85 days to maturity planted after a June 1 last frost may not ripen before a September first fall frost. Frost dates let you do the maths before you sow.
Your first fall frost date is the average earliest date each autumn when temperatures drop to 32°F (0°C) or below. For warm-season crops — tomatoes, courgettes, beans, cucumbers — this date signals the end of the productive season. Once frost hits, tender plants collapse overnight.
The first fall frost date is equally important for planning a second season.
Cold-tolerant crops like kale, spinach, carrots, and turnips can be direct-sown 8–10 weeks before first fall frost for a productive autumn harvest. Some crops, like parsnips and Brussels sprouts, are actually improved by exposure to frost, which converts starches to sugars.
Your first fall frost date helps you plan the end of season and a second planting window:
Harvest before frost damage
Long-season crops like winter squash, sweet potato, and dry beans need to be harvested before the first frost kills the plant or damages the fruit. Count back from your first fall frost date when selecting varieties.
Time your fall sowings
Sow fast-maturing cool-season crops (spinach, radish, turnip, lettuce) 6–8 weeks before first fall frost. Slower crops like broccoli, kale, and cabbage need 10–12 weeks — meaning you should be sowing them in mid-summer.
Protect tender perennial herbs
Basil, lemon verbena, and other tender herbs must be brought indoors or harvested before the first frost. Hardy herbs like thyme, rosemary (in Zone 7+), and sage can stay out.
Plan season extension into autumn
A row cover or cold frame can push your effective first frost date 4–6 weeks later, keeping salads, spinach, and chard productive well into winter — even in Zone 5 or 6.
If your city isn't listed above, use your USDA zone as a guide. Find your zone at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
| Zone | Last Spring Frost | First Fall Frost | Growing Season | Example Regions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | Jun 1 | Sep 1 | ~90 days | Northern MN, Interior AK, Prairie Canada |
| Zone 4 | May 15 | Sep 15 | ~120 days | Minneapolis MN, Bismarck ND, Calgary AB |
| Zone 5 | May 1 | Oct 1 | ~150 days | Chicago IL, Denver CO, Burlington VT |
| Zone 6 | Apr 15 | Oct 15 | ~180 days | Washington DC, Kansas City MO, Louisville KY |
| Zone 7 | Apr 1 | Nov 1 | ~210 days | Atlanta GA, Nashville TN, Dallas TX |
| Zone 8 | Mar 1 | Nov 20 | ~265 days | Seattle WA, Houston TX, Charlotte NC |
| Zone 9 | Feb 1 | Dec 5 | ~300 days | Phoenix AZ, Sacramento CA, New Orleans LA |
| Zone 10 | Frost rare | Frost rare | ~365 days | Miami FL, San Diego CA |
| Zone 11 | No frost | No frost | Year-round | Hawaii |
Not all vegetables react to frost the same way. Use this guide alongside your frost dates above to know exactly when each crop is safe to sow or transplant outdoors.
Killed by any frost. Wait until night temps stay above 10°C (50°F).
Timing: Start seeds indoors 6–10 weeks before your last frost date. Move outside only after the 10% safest date (all frost risk gone). Tomatoes and peppers need soil temperatures above 15°C to thrive.
Tolerate light frost (−1°C to −2°C) but not a hard freeze.
Timing: Transplant or direct sow 1–2 weeks before your average 50% last frost date. A light frost will cause some damage but usually not kill established plants. Use row cover to protect if a cold snap is forecast.
Survive hard frosts down to −5°C (23°F) or colder.
Timing: Direct sow or transplant 4–6 weeks before your last frost date — or as soon as soil can be worked. In fall, sow 8–10 weeks before first frost for a second harvest. Many improve in flavour after a light frost converts starches to sugars.
Count back from your last spring frost date to find when to start seeds indoors. Tomatoes need 6–8 weeks, peppers 10–12 weeks, and cucumbers just 3–4 weeks before transplanting.
Move tender transplants outside after your last frost date. Harden off seedlings for 7–10 days first by placing them outside for a few hours per day, increasing exposure gradually.
Add each crop's days-to-maturity to its transplant or direct-sow date. Aim to harvest at least 4 weeks before your first fall frost for long-season crops like squash and sweet potato.
Use your first fall frost date to plan a second season. Cold-tolerant crops like kale, spinach, and carrots can be sown 8–10 weeks before first frost for a fall harvest.
Your last frost date is the average calendar date after which ground-level temperatures are unlikely to drop below 32°F (0°C) in spring. It's a statistical average based on historical weather data — not a guarantee. There's still a 10–30% chance of frost after this date, which is why hardening off your plants matters.
Your first fall frost date is the average date when temperatures first drop to 32°F (0°C) or below in autumn. Use it to plan your end-of-season: bring in tender plants, start fall crops, and begin storing root vegetables before the ground freezes.
The dates are based on 30-year NOAA climate normals (1991–2020) and represent the 50% probability date — meaning there's an equal chance frost will occur before or after this date. For more certainty, use the 10% probability date (about 2–3 weeks later in spring) for cold-sensitive crops like basil and tomatoes.
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones are based on the average minimum winter temperature in a given area. They are divided into 13 zones (1–13), each split into "a" (colder) and "b" (warmer) halves. Zone 5b means average minimum winter lows of −15°F to −10°F (−26°C to −23°C). Zones help you choose perennials, trees and shrubs that will survive your winters — but for annual vegetable planning, frost dates are more directly useful.
You can effectively shift your frost dates 4–6 weeks earlier in spring and later in fall using season extension tools: row covers and frost blankets protect plants down to 28°F; cold frames add 4–6 weeks; low tunnels with heavy fabric can add 6–8 weeks; and a heated greenhouse removes frost risk entirely. In Zone 5 with cold frames, you can realistically grow as if you were in Zone 6.
Find the nearest large city in the same region, or use the USDA Zone map (planthardiness.ars.usda.gov) to identify your zone and then use the zone reference table above. Local cooperative extension offices also publish frost date data specific to your county — search "[your county] frost dates extension" for highly local data.
Plug your frost dates straight into these free tools.
Save your location once and EdenVatika auto-generates a planting calendar for every crop in your garden — sow dates, transplant reminders, and harvest windows all calculated from your actual frost dates.
Auto planting calendar
Zone-aware schedule for every crop in your garden
Frost warning alerts
Get notified when a late frost is forecast (Pro)
Location-based planning
Set your location once — all dates update automatically
Season extension tracking
Log your cold frames and tunnel dates to extend your season (Pro)
AI garden planner
Get a full personalised plan based on your location and beds (Pro)
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