NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals

Frost Dates for Your ZIP Code

Q: How does this frost date lookup work?

Enter a ZIP code and we geolocate it, then match it to the nearest of 150 reference stations with NOAA 1991–2020 climate-normal freeze dates. The result is the typical (median) first and last 32°F freeze for that station — the standard planning anchor gardeners use.

Q: Why does my result show a city miles away?

Frost climatology is only as dense as long-running weather stations. The nearest station is usually representative within a week — but if you sit notably higher, lower, or closer to water than it does, adjust: valley floors frost earlier, urban cores and shorelines later.

Q: Is the median date the safe planting date?

No — the median is a 50/50 chance. For spring planting, use the "late" last-frost date shown on your state page (roughly the 90% point), or simply watch the 10-day forecast once past the median.

Q: What should I plant relative to my frost dates?

Count backward from first frost for fall crops (a 60-day carrot sown 75 days before first frost finishes comfortably), and forward from last frost for spring (tomatoes out 1–2 weeks after the late date). Your state page pairs the dates with a week-by-week playbook.

The typical first and last freeze for your garden — matched to the nearest of 150 reference stations nationwide, with a countdown to your season’s edge.

Why gardeners start here

Two dates run your whole garden year

Everything in a planting calendar hangs off the first and last freeze: when to start seeds, when tomatoes can go out, when to sow the fall carrots, when the basil comes in. Enter your ZIP above for your local anchors — then open your state page for the countdown, the city-by-city table, and the week-by-week first-frost playbook.

Hoarfrost on fallen autumn leaves — The morning the countdown ends. Your ZIP code’s typical date is one lookup away.

Browse instead

Frost dates by state

Frosted field at sunrise — Every state page pairs dates like these with a city table and a week-by-week playbook.

Common questions

Frost lookup FAQ

How does this frost date lookup work?

Why does my result show a city miles away?

Is the median date the safe planting date?

What should I plant relative to my frost dates?

Macro of feathery ice crystals — Frost at 10x: the crystals that form when surface temperature drops below the dew point — and below freezing.

Median 32°F freeze dates from NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals; individual years vary ±2 weeks and microclimates more. National overview: first frost dates for every state → Still working outside until then? Check the tick forecast. Ticks stay active right up to that first hard freeze.