First Freeze 2026

Find your freeze date.

The first freeze map is out. Enter your zip to see when the first freezing night usually hits your area, based on 30 years of NOAA weather records.

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Map of the lower 48 shaded from early freeze in the north to late freeze in the south
Darker blue freezes first. Red freezes last.

The cold, step by step

What gelling does

Gelling doesn't happen all at once. It starts in the fuel and shows up at the filter first.

  1. 1 Around 10-20°F

    The fuel clouds

    #2 diesel carries paraffin wax. When it gets cold enough, the wax starts to form crystals and the fuel turns hazy. Where that starts depends on the blend.

  2. 2 Colder

    The filter catches it

    The fuel filter is the first thing the wax hits. Crystals pile up on the media, fuel flow drops and the engine starts to starve.

  3. 3 Colder still

    The fuel gels

    Keep the cold coming and the wax links up. Fuel thickens in the tank and lines. The truck cranks and won't start, or quits on the road.

  4. 4 The bill

    What it costs

    A tow or a long wait in the cold, a plugged fuel filter to replace, and a day of work gone. The fix costs more than getting ready.

Diesel Done Right, Ohio USA

Get ahead of your date

Beat the Cold Snap runs through October 25: a fresh fuel filter and winter fuel treatment cut to your truck, with more in the bigger kits.

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DataNOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020. Median date of the first fall night at or below each temperature, from the weather stations nearest your zip.