Updated Old Farmer’s Almanac map shows last frost date for each state

The Old Farmer’s Almanac has issued its 2026 Last Frost Date Map, outlining when spring frost is expected to end across the U.S., helping gardeners plan early plantings.

Why It Matters

The map uses three colors to show timing differences: green marks last frosts arriving one to two weeks earlier than usual, yellow indicates dates close to the long‑term average, and blue highlights last frosts occurring one to two weeks later than normal.

What To Know

The publication laid out its predictions by region as follows:

Northeast: Green shading—indicating an earlier‑than‑usual frost end—covers Boston and much of New England.

Atlantic Corridor: Green shading appears over sections of New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia.

Southeast: Green appears across the Carolinas and eastern Georgia, signaling an extended window for spring planting.

Florida: Blue shows up in central areas around Orlando, indicating a later frost end, while yellow in the north and far south reflects near‑normal timing.

Appalachians: Yellow indicates conditions close to normal.

Ohio Valley: Green covers Kentucky and much of Indiana, while yellow appears in portions of Ohio and West Virginia.

Deep South: Yellow indicates mostly near‑normal conditions overall.

Upper Midwest: Mostly yellow overall, with blue appearing at the northern edges.

Lower Lakes: Yellow stretches across Michigan and the Great Lakes region, including Chicago.

Heartland: Green appears over parts of Missouri and Kansas, while northern Iowa shows yellow.

Texas-Oklahoma: Green appears in the northern areas near Oklahoma City, yellow spans the central region, and blue shows up farther south near San Antonio.

High Plains: Yellow spans Nebraska, northern Colorado, and the Dakotas.

Intermountain: Blue extends across Idaho, eastern Oregon and Washington, as well as northern Utah and Nevada.

Mountain West: Blue appears in northern Montana, with yellow covering much of the rest of the region.

Pacific Northwest: Yellow covers Seattle, Portland, and nearby coastal areas.

Pacific Southwest: Green appears across many low‑elevation parts of California and the desert Southwest.

What People Are Saying

The Old Farmer’s Almanac said: “Most differences are modest (about 1–2 weeks), but even a few days can matter. In some areas, this map allows gardeners to get a jump on the season; in others, it helps avoid disaster. It’s designed to guide earliest plantings—especially frost-tolerant vegetables and flowers that thrive before consistently warm weather arrives.”

What Happens Next

The publication has also released its long-range forecast for spring 2026.

“We are forecasting a warmer than normal spring for most of the U.S., however, parts of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Colorado are expected to see temperatures closer to or below seasonal averages,” Sarah Perreault, managing editor of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, told Newsweek previously.