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Storm hazard · NOAA Storm Events Database

Frost/Freeze in the United States

National statistics for frost/freeze events from the NOAA Storm Events Database (2015–2025): how often they occur, where they hit hardest, and the human and property toll.

6,733
Events recorded
2
Fatalities
$1.5M
Property damage
38
States affected

How dangerous are Frost/Freeze events in the U.S.?

NOAA's Storm Events Database has catalogued 6,733 frost/freeze events across 38 states and territories between 2015 and 2025. The cumulative human toll is 2 fatalities and 6 injuries, and the financial footprint reaches $861.0M in combined property ($1.5M) and crop ($859.5M) damage. On a per-fatality basis this places frost/freeze events at a low severity tier relative to other tracked hazard types in the NOAA catalog.

Where this hazard actually strikes varies sharply by region. The three states absorbing the largest share of events are CA (952 events, 0 fatalities), KY (759 events, 0 fatalities), TX (555 events, 1 fatalities), a pattern driven more by climatology than by any one state's vulnerability. At the other end, states such as SC, DC, PA report far fewer events, often reflecting hazard climatology rather than underreporting.

The annual record is uneven rather than steadily rising or falling. The peak year on record was 2020, logging 878 events and $0 in property damage in a single calendar year. The most recent year in the dataset is 2025 with 552 events recorded. Across the full 11-year window, annual event counts reflect natural year-to-year noise given how infrequently this hazard is recorded at all.

How to interpret this data

NOAA storm event data is filed by local National Weather Service forecast offices, so reporting intensity can vary by jurisdiction and should be interpreted alongside FEMA disaster declarations for a fuller picture.

For household and business preparedness, this state-and-year view should be paired with local-level FEMA National Risk Index ratings, flood-zone maps where applicable, and up-to-date NWS watch/warning information, population exposure and asset value matter as much as raw event frequency for estimating real-world risk.

Frost/Freeze by State

# State EventsFatalitiesProperty Damage
1 California CA 952 0 $300.0K
2 Kentucky KY 759 0 $0
3 Texas TX 555 1 $157.6K
4 Virginia VA 539 0 $0
5 Oregon OR 452 0 $0
6 Alabama AL 433 0 $0
7 Illinois IL 411 0 $0
8 Colorado CO 408 0 $0
9 Missouri MO 294 0 $0
10 Iowa IA 263 0 $0
11 Maryland MD 263 0 $0
12 New York NY 223 0 $0
13 Indiana IN 188 0 $0
14 Tennessee TN 158 0 $0
15 West Virginia WV 143 0 $0
16 Utah UT 116 0 $0
17 North Carolina NC 86 0 $0
18 Minnesota MN 77 0 $0
19 Oklahoma OK 59 0 $0
20 Washington WA 59 1 $20.0K
21 Montana MT 41 0 $0
22 North Dakota ND 39 0 $0
23 Florida FL 31 0 $0
24 Georgia GA 30 0 $0
25 Vermont VT 25 0 $0
26 Alaska AK 23 0 $0
27 Nebraska NE 19 0 $0
28 Maine ME 13 0 $0
29 Idaho ID 13 0 $0
30 Arizona AZ 12 0 $1.1M
31 New Hampshire NH 10 0 $0
32 Wisconsin WI 10 0 $0
33 Connecticut CT 7 0 $0
34 Massachusetts MA 6 0 $0
35 Kansas KS 6 0 $0
36 South Carolina SC 4 0 $0
37 District of Columbia DC 4 0 $0
38 Pennsylvania PA 2 0 $0

Frost/Freeze by Year

Year Events Fatalities Injuries Property Damage
2025 552 0 0 $0
2024 393 0 0 $0
2023 533 0 5 $0
2022 846 0 0 $0
2021 581 2 1 $177.6K
2020 878 0 0 $0
2019 654 0 0 $0
2018 710 0 0 $0
2017 409 0 0 $0
2016 832 0 0 $0
2015 345 0 0 $1.4M

Related Guides

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Hazard Risk by Region

How natural disaster risk varies across different US regions.

Climate Change & Disasters

How climate trends are changing the frequency and severity of natural disasters.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many frost/freeze events have occurred in the US?
The NOAA Storm Events Database has recorded 6,733 frost/freeze events across 38 states from 2015 to 2025. These events caused 2 fatalities and 6 injuries.
Which states are most affected by frost/freeze events?
The states most affected by frost/freeze include CA (952 events), KY (759 events), TX (555 events). These three states account for a significant share of all recorded frost/freeze incidents in the US.
How much damage do frost/freeze events cause?
Frost/Freeze events have caused an estimated $861.0M in combined property and crop damage from 2015 to 2025. Property damage alone accounts for $1.5M, with crop damage at $859.5M.
What year had the most frost/freeze events?
The year with the most recorded frost/freeze events was 2020, with 878 events resulting in 0 fatalities and $0 in property damage.
How dangerous are frost/freeze events?
Frost/Freeze events have a low severity rating based on 2 fatalities and 6 injuries recorded from 2015 to 2025 across 38 states. Preparedness and early warning systems are critical for reducing risk.
Which states have the fewest frost/freeze events?
The states with the fewest frost/freeze events include SC (4 events), DC (4 events), PA (2 events). Geographic and climatic factors largely determine regional vulnerability to this hazard type.

Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (2015-2025) For informational purposes only

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

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Every figure on PlainHazard is rendered directly from FEMA federal disaster data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FEMA federal disaster data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or national statistics report, or report a data error.