Frost dates in Toledo, Ohio
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Toledo is April 20, and the average first fall frost is October 27, from NOAA's Toledo Metcalf Fld station, 9 miles from the middle of Toledo. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 7, and the first one by October 14. That leaves about 190 frost-free days. Toledo is in USDA planting zone 6b.
Weather stations around Toledo
The first row is the date most people in Toledo go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toledo Metcalf Fld 9 mi away, 622 ft | April 20 1 in 10 after May 7 | October 27 1 in 10 by October 14 | 190 days |
| Toledo Express Airport 12 mi away, 669 ft | April 22 1 in 10 after May 7 | October 24 1 in 10 by October 11 | 185 days |
| Blissfield 1NNE 19 mi away, 690 ft | April 29 1 in 10 after May 15 | October 13 1 in 10 by September 30 | 167 days |
| Monroe 19 mi away, 586 ft | April 23 1 in 10 after May 7 | October 23 1 in 10 by October 9 | 183 days |
| Bowling Green Wwtp 19 mi away, 675 ft | April 22 1 in 10 after May 7 | October 25 1 in 10 by October 12 | 186 days |
Distances are from the middle of Toledo as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 43620, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Toledo covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of Ohio, station by station.
Other Ohio cities: Columbus · Cleveland · Cincinnati · Akron
Nearby: Detroit, MI · Fort Wayne, IN
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer