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Last frost date

Here are some different ways to find your last frost date estimated for spring based on historic temperature averages.

Last frost dates of major cities

Here are the expected average last frost dates of some major cities:

United States of America

  • Houston, Texas: February 8 (usually between January 2 and March 18)
  • Pheonix, Arizona: February 8 (usually between January 11 and March 7)
  • Jacksonville, Florida: February 26 (usually between February 4 and March 21)
  • Seattle, Washington: March 10 (usually between February 3 and April 4)
  • Atlanta, Georgia: March 24 (usually between March 13 and April 14)
  • Charlotte, North Carolina: March 29 (usually between March 11 and April 15)
  • New York, New York: April 1 (usually between March 20 and April 13)
  • Philidelphia, Pennsylvania: April 6 (usually between March 24 – April 19)
  • Nashvillle, Tennessee: April 13 (usually between March 28- April 28)
  • Indianapolis, Indiana: April 17 (usually between April 1 and May 4)
  • Columbus, Ohio: April 26 (usually between April 14 and May 9)
  • Denver, Colorado: April 30 (usually between April 16 and May 13)
  • Minneapolis, Minnesota: April 30 (usually between April 17 and May 12)
  • Chicago, Illinois: May 6 (usually between April 17 and May 24)
  • Anchorage, Alaska: May 8 (usually between April 28 and May 19)

Data source: National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Dept of Commerce

Canada

Here are the expected average last frost dates of some major cities in Canada. Note that some years are colder than others, and the temperature can vary across a metropolitan center.

  • Vancouver, British Columbia: March 28
  • Victoria, British Columbia: April 19
  • Kelowna, British Columbia: May 1
  • Montreal, Quebec: May 3
  • Halifax, Nova Scotia: May 6
  • Ottawa, Ontario: May 6
  • London, Ontario: May 9
  • Toronto, Ontario: May 9
  • Edmonton, Alberta: May 11
  • Quebec City, Quebec: May 13
  • Saskatoon, Saskatchewan: May 21
  • Calgary, Alberta: May 23
  • Winnipeg, Manitoba: May 25

Last spring frost date by US Zip Code

There are a couple websites where you can calculate your last frost date by zip code:

Data is generally sourced from NCEI NOAA: https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/

Last spring frost dates of USDA hardiness zones

While hardiness zone does not directly relate to the expected frost dates, there is some correlation regarding spring frost timing. Here are the expected dates of the last spring frost based on zone. Take these values with a grain of salt, as a more general estimate than those based on historic climate actuals.

  • Zone 2: May 15 to June 2
  • Zone 3: May 5 to May 31
  • Zone 4: May 1 to May 20
  • Zone 5: April 10 to May 10
  • Zone 6: April 5 to April 30
  • Zone 7: April 1 to April 20
  • Zone 8: February 25 to March 25
  • Zone 9: February 1 to February 28

Here is a link to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.