Spring 2025 Frost/Freeze Info (includes average/extreme last frost/freeze dates, etc)

** PLEASE NOTE: As of April 18th, NWS Hastings considers its ENTIRE 30-county forecast area as "eligible" for possible Frost Advisories/Freeze Warnings for the remainder of spring 2025 (these Warnings/Advisories may not be issued in ALL circumstances, especially if potential frost/freeze conditions are deemed marginal) **

General Overview of Spring Frost/Freeze Information:
The mid-April through early-May time frame typically features the final occurrence of freezing temperatures and/or frost of the spring season within our 30-county forecast area of south central Nebraska and north central Kansas. Based on 30-year averages, the date of the AVERAGE last spring freeze (32°-or-colder) ranges from around April 18 in our far southeastern local communities (such as Beloit KS), to around April 24-29 in the Tri Cities (Grand Island/Hastings/Kearney), to around May 2-7 in our far northern and western communities (such as Greeley, Gothenburg and Cambridge). HOWEVER, after viewing the maps and tables contained in this story, it is readily apparent that the phrase "average last freeze date" is quite relative, as most sites exhibit a 5-9 week range between the earliest/latest last dates on record!

Please refer to the wealth of information within the tabs below (including tables/maps of average last frost/freeze/hard freeze dates) to stay on top of the frost/freeze situation across our local area this spring. This includes the "Looking Ahead" section just below, which will highlight upcoming opportunities for frost/freeze within the next 7-10 days and also gives our insight as to when we believe the last frost/freeze of spring 2025 has most likely occurred.

Looking Ahead 7-10 Days: ** "Safe" Through At Least End of April...BUT Still Potential For Frost/Freeze Conditions Sometime in May (too soon too tell !) **
(updated April 23)

April 24-30 (Wed night-Thurs AM through Tues night-Wed AM): There is currently very little concern for frost/freeze within our area, as low temperatures are forecast to drop no lower than the 40s on most nights.

Recapping Last Spring's (2024) Final Frost/Freeze:
- Spring 2024: For the majority of our 30-county coverage area, spring 2024 featured a near-to-earlier than average last freeze, and a solidly earlier-than-average last frost (this was in contrast to spring 2023, which leaned a bit later-than-average). During spring 2024, most of our area observed its last freeze (32º-or-colder) no later than April 22-24, and far south-southeast locations such as Plainville and Beloit KS actually had their last hard freeze (28º-or-colder) way back on March 28th! As for temperatures supportive of frost development (36º-or-colder), nearly our entire area saw no frost beyond the April 24-30th time frame...a good 1-2 weeks earlier than average.

Frost/Freeze Definitions
Local/Regional Last Frost/Freeze Maps & Table
Freeze Susceptibility Maps
Spring First Leaf/Bloom Index Maps

Before continuing, here are a few definitions...

Frost

Frost occurs when there is a solid deposition of water vapor from the air. Frost will form when solid surfaces are cooled below the dew point. An air temperature range of 33°- 36° (or colder), along with light winds, is usually needed to initiate frost formation. At least minor damage is possible to plants. Please note that frost is not guaranteed if the air is very dry and/or winds are roughly 8+ MPH.

The range of average dates for the LAST spring frost across across most of
south central NE and north central KS is between May 1 - May 15.

Freeze

Freeze occurs when the temperature drops to 32°-or-lower. A freeze will damage many unprotected plants, especially if the temperature remains at-or-below freezing for several hours.

The range of average dates for the LAST spring freeze across most of
south central NE and north central KS is between April 18 - May 7.

Hard Freeze

Hard freeze (per our local NWS definition) occurs when the temperature reaches 28°-or-lower. This usually means that most seasonal vegetation will be destroyed. In addition, there is a likelihood of damage to unprotected outdoor plumbing/un-drained sprinkler systems etc.

The range of average dates for the LAST spring hard freeze across across most of
south central NE and north central KS is between April 9 - April 29.

South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas
Average of Most Recent 30 Years Last Frost/Freeze Dates (1995-2024)
(click images to enlarge)


Average Last 36° Date (Last Spring Frost) 1995-2024	Average Last 32° Date (Last Spring Freeze) 1995-2024	Average Last 28° Date (Last Spring Hard Freeze) 1995-2024

Median Dates of Last Spring Freeze & Hard Freeze (1991-2020)
(Midwestern Regional Climate Center)


Median Date of Last Spring 32° Freeze	Median Date of Last Spring 28° Hard Freeze

Below is a table focused on the average dates for reaching particular frost/freeze temperature thresholds. Keep in mind, there is often tremendous variation from year-to-year and between any given location across our area!

Explanation of the table below:

The first column lists 10 locations in south central Nebraska and 3 in north central Kansas with long histories of being NWS Cooperative Observer sites (except for Grand Island and Hastings airports, which are automated systems). This is just a small sampling of dozens of official weather stations within the NWS Hastings coverage area, and these sites are generally organized down the column from north-to south.
The second column shows the average date of the LATEST SPRING OBSERVANCE of 28°, 32° and 36° temperatures during the most recent 30-year period from 1995-2024.
The third and fourth columns reveal the earliest last freeze date and latest last freeze date (32° or colder) over the last 30 years. It is readily apparent that the phrase "average last freeze date" is quite relative, as most sites feature a 5-9 week difference between the earliest and latest dates! For some of these locations, the incredibly-early last freeze of spring 2012 (between March 9-11) was among the earliest on record. On the opposite spectrum, for several places the latest freeze of the last 30 years occurred in mid-May 2014.
The final column is a recap of LAST SPRING (2024), showing the last dates that 28°, 32° and 36° were observed. A blue-shaded date indicates that the last spring frost/freeze/hard freeze of 2024 occurred at least 10 days LATER than the 30-year average, while red-shaded dates indicate a last spring frost/freeze/hard freeze that was at least 10 days EARLIER than the 30-year average.

Spring Frost/Freeze Data For South Central Nebraska + North Central Kansas
(*averages from most recent 30 years 1995-2024)

	Avg Last Spring Date: 28° or Colder 32° or Colder 36° or Colder	1995-2024 Earliest Last Date: 32° Or Colder	1995-2024 Latest Last Date: 32° Or Colder	Last Year's (2024) Last Occurrence: 28° Or Colder 32° Or Colder 36° Or Colder
Greeley	April 29 May 7 May 15	April 16, 2007	May 23, 2022	April 22 (28º) April 24 (32º) April 29 (35º)
Osceola	April 14 April 27 May 3	April 9, 2003	May 15, 2014	March 28 (21º) April 22 (30º) April 22 (30º)
Gothenburg	April 21 May 2 May 15	April 11, 2012	May 25, 2002	April 12 (27º) April 21 (29º) May 4 (36º)
Kearney Airport (NWS Observer)	April 18 April 29 May 9	April 10, 2003	May 18, 2014	April 5 (27º) April 22 (29º) April 25 (35º)
Grand Island (airport)	April 15 April 25 May 6	April 9, 2003	May 17, 2014	April 20 (25º) April 21 (29º) April 24 (35º)
Holdrege	April 17 May 1 May 9	April 10, 2003	May 17, 2011	April 21 (28º) April 22 (29º) April 29 (34º)
Hastings (airport)	April 13 April 24 May 4	March 9, 2012	May 17, 2014	April 21 (28º) April 21 (28º) April 24 (36º)
Clay Center, NE	April 12 April 24 May 4	March 11, 2012	May 23, 2022	March 28 (19º) April 22 (29º) April 29 (34º)
Cambridge	April 22 May 5 May 14	April 16, 2007	May 21, 2015	April 22 (26º) April 22 (26º) April 30 (33º)
Hebron	April 13 April 24 May 5	March 11, 2012	May 16, 2014	April 5 (27º) April 22 (30º) April 22 (30º)
Smith Center, KS	April 10 April 19 May 2	March 10, 2012	May 11, 2020	Not available Not available Not available
Plainville, KS	April 11 April 21 May 4	March 10, 2012	May 12, 2008	March 28 (23º) April 22 (30º) April 22 (30º)
Beloit, KS	April 9 April 18 May 1	March 11, 2012	May 4, 2004	March 28 (20º) April 13 (32º) April 21 (34º)

* NOTE: 10 or fewer missing days of annual data allowed for averages

The Midwestern Regional Climate Center (MRCC) produces maps that update DAILY, depicting the most recent date that sites across the region that have fallen to at least 32° or 28° this spring. In addition, GRAY shaded areas = places that have NOT YET accumulated at least 150 Growing Degree Days (GDD/base 50º F) since Feb. 1st.

This generally means that gray-shaded areas have not yet become favorable for widespread plant/crop growth that could be significantly damaged by frost/freeze, while white-shaded areas are more likely to feature vegetation susceptible to more widespread freeze damage.

(click images to enlarge Nebraska and Kansas maps)


*KS: Most Recent 32° or Below* this spring (dots) and areas most prone to have vegetation damaged by a freeze (WHITE shaded areas)**	*NE: Most Recent 32° or Below* this spring (dots) and areas most prone to have vegetation damaged by a freeze (WHITE shaded areas)**

*KS: Most Recent 28° or Below* this spring (dots) and areas most prone to have vegetation damaged by a freeze (WHITE shaded areas)**	*NE: Most Recent 28° or Below* this spring (dots) and areas most prone to have vegetation damaged by a freeze (WHITE shaded areas)**

The USA-National Phenology Network (NPN) produces several maps that update DAILY, depicting the progression of particular types of spring vegetation across the nation, and how it compares to long-term averages. See their web page for much more detail and information, but the two maps highlighted below depict First Leaf Index Anomaly and First Bloom Index Anomaly. In short, this means they show the current status of some types of spring vegetation (first leaf-out or first-flowering) compared to long-term averages, giving an idea of whether spring is "ahead" of or "behind" schedule.

(click images to enlarge)


Spring Leaf Index Anomaly	Spring Bloom Index Anomaly

For more Frost/Freeze related information including an interactive mapping tool, check out the following resource:

MRCC Freeze Date Tool...note: this site uses data that defaults back to 1950 (unless modified by the user), so average dates might vary slightly from what is presented elsewhere in this story.

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