Frost date probability · Ohio
Vinton County frost dates. Probability table.
The median last spring frost in Vinton County is April 13. The median first fall frost is October 26, giving a typical growing season of 196 days.
- USDA Zone 6a
- 16 mi to NOAA station
- 30-yr record (1991–2020)
Data from CARPENTER 2 S, OH US, 16 miles away with 30-year NOAA record (1991-2020).
Annual overview
The frost year, at a glance.
Annual frost timeline · Vinton County
Probability tables
Pick your row by your appetite for risk.
Five risk tiers across three temperature thresholds. Most farmers plan against the conservative side for high-value transplants and the median for direct-seed crops. The aggressive rows are useful when paired with row cover or other season-extension tools.
Last Spring Frost
The range of last-frost dates seen across 1991–2020 at the killing-freeze (28°F) threshold and at the lighter 32°F and harder 24°F thresholds. For frost-sensitive transplants in Vinton County, the "very conservative" row is the date frost has occurred at in only 1 of 10 historical years — i.e., the safe-side bound.
Reading: pick a row by your appetite for risk. Very conservative — the unluckiest 10% of years had frost past this date. Very aggressive — only the luckiest 10% of years were frost-free this early. Plant frost-sensitive transplants on the conservative side.
First Fall Frost
The range of first-frost dates in fall. For frost-sensitive harvests (winter squash, fall tomatoes, pumpkins), the "very conservative" row is the harvest deadline — frost has arrived this early in only 1 of 10 historical years.
Reading: pick a row by your appetite for risk. Very conservative — frost arrived this early in only the unluckiest 10% of years. Very aggressive — frost held off this late in only the luckiest 10% of years. Schedule frost-sensitive harvests on the conservative side.
Growing Season
Days between the last spring frost (28°F) and first fall frost (28°F). Plan for the shorter end if you're growing long-season crops without season-extension tools.
Short year (10%)
Plan for this if you can't afford a frost-shortened season.
Median year (50%)
Half of historical years gave you at least this much.
Long year (90%)
The upside — a ninth of years run this long or longer.
What this means for your crops
Crop-specific planting and harvest guidance derived from the frost probability data above. Each line uses the actual percentile dates from the nearest NOAA station — not a generic regional rule.
Tomatoes
Full Ohio calendar →Set transplants out after May 3 — that's the conservative bound where only 1 of 10 historical years had a 28°F frost past this date. For unprotected fields, waiting another 7 days for the soil to hold above 60°F gives a stronger start.Peppers
Full Ohio calendar →Peppers are more cold-sensitive than tomatoes. Hold transplants until May 10 — about a week past the conservative last-frost bound — and aim for 65°F+ soil temperature.Sweet corn
Full Ohio calendar →Direct seed sweet corn after April 25, when soil temperature reliably holds above 55°F. Sweet corn tolerates a light spring frost but won't germinate in cold ground.Pumpkins
Full Ohio calendar →For Halloween harvest, plant by June 23. That gives 110 days to reach the conservative first-fall-frost date (October 11) — frost has arrived this early in only 1 of 10 historical years, so most pumpkins will finish in time.Potatoes
Full Ohio calendar →Potatoes can go in around April 13 — about 2 weeks before the median 32°F last-frost date. The shoots tolerate a light frost; what you need is soil temperature above 45°F.Winter wheat
Full Ohio calendar →For optimal fall establishment, plant winter wheat around September 14 — six weeks before the median first 28°F freeze (October 26). That window gets the crop tillered before dormancy without pushing it too tall, where Hessian fly is a concern.Clover (cool-season)
Full Ohio calendar →Frost-seed clover in late winter when freeze-thaw cycles are still working the soil — typically 4–6 weeks before May 9. Clover germinates as soils warm and is well-rooted before grass competition kicks in.Winter rye (cover)
Full Ohio calendar →Winter rye is the most frost-tolerant cereal — plant by September 28, four weeks before the median first 28°F freeze. It can germinate in cool soil and will keep growing whenever temperatures are above freezing through fall.
These dates assume a healthy, well-drained field and standard varieties. Adjust for raised beds, row cover, or short-season varieties as appropriate.
Local variation
Why your farm may differ from these dates.
The dates on this page come from the nearest qualifying NOAA station with a 30-year record. Real frost on a real field is shaped by terrain, water, and the built environment. Read the station data as a regional anchor, then adjust for what you know about your own ground.
Elevation
Higher ground frosts earlier in fall and later in spring. As a rule of thumb, expect roughly a 3–5°F difference in overnight low for every 1,000 feet of elevation change versus the nearest valley station.
Cold air drainage
On clear, calm nights cold air sinks into low spots. Valley bottoms, hollows, and the bottom of orchard rows can frost 2–6 weeks differently than nearby slopes — even within a 100-yard radius. South-facing slopes warm faster in spring than north-facing slopes.
Urban and suburban heat
Pavement, buildings, and irrigation push frost dates later than rural stations report. If your operation sits inside a metro area, the local last-frost date is often 1–3 weeks earlier than what a rural NOAA station shows.
Water proximity
Large lakes, rivers, and especially the coast moderate temperature swings. Sites within a mile of a sizable water body typically see a later last-spring frost and an earlier first-fall frost than inland sites at the same latitude.
For precision frost monitoring, install a personal weather station on the field that matters most. The closer the sensor is to the soil surface where you actually plant, the more useful the data.
Hardiness zone comparison
How this compares to USDA Zone 6a.
USDA Zone 6a measures average annual extreme minimum winter temperature for plant winter hardiness. The frost probability data on this page measures the actual range of last-spring and first-fall frost dates from the nearest NOAA weather station — far more useful for planning annual crop planting and harvest.
USDA Hardiness Zone
Measures the average annual minimum winter temperature. Designed to predict whether a perennial plant survives winter in your location — useful for orchard, vine, and ornamental decisions, but says nothing about when last spring frost arrives or how variable that date is.
Frost probability data
Measures the actual statistical distribution of last-spring and first-fall frost dates from a 30-year NOAA record. Designed for annual-crop planning — when to plant transplants, when to direct-seed, when to expect a hard harvest deadline.
Source data
The NOAA station behind these dates.
CARPENTER 2 S, OH US
Distance
16 miles from county centroid
Elevation
822 ft
Record period
1991–2020
Network
NOAA Climate Normals
Cross-validation stations
- JACKSON 3 NW, OH US16.8 mi30-yr record
- LOGAN, OH US20 mi30-yr record
- ATHENS OU, OH US21.2 mi30-yr record
Nearby counties
Frost dates in nearby Ohio counties.
Hocking County
Spring Apr 19 · Fall Oct 24
Jackson County
Spring Apr 9 · Fall Nov 1
Athens County
Spring Apr 11 · Fall Nov 1
Gallia County
Spring Apr 4 · Fall Nov 5
Meigs County
Spring Apr 13 · Fall Oct 26
Fairfield County
Spring Apr 15 · Fall Oct 24
Perry County
Spring Apr 19 · Fall Oct 28
Ross County
Spring Apr 6 · Fall Nov 2
Historical averages are the floor. Tonight's risk is the truth.
Bield Farm pulls live forecast data for your specific farm location and tells you when frost is actually coming — paired with the historical baseline above so you know whether tonight's risk is normal or anomalous.
Start free trial →