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Frost Dates and Planting Windows in Minnesota

The 32°F frost dates at the 179 weather stations in Minnesota with NOAA's 1991–2020 Climate Normals, and the planting windows they give. These are long-term statistics, not a forecast. For the dates at the station nearest you, enter your ZIP code.

The planner uses the weather station nearest your ZIP code.

Frost dates across Minnesota

Each risk level uses a date with a set chance of frost. In spring, it's the chance of a 32°F frost on or after the last-frost date. In fall, it's the chance of the first 32°F frost on or before the first-frost date. At the Typical level (30%), the last frost ranges from April 23 to June 12 across the state, and the first frost from September 2 to October 23.

32°F frost dates: earliest and latest among 179 stations, by risk level
Risk levelEarliest last frostLatest last frostEarliest first frostLatest first frost
Conservative (10%)May 1LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN USJune 25HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USAugust 23HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USOctober 15LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US
Typical (30%)April 23LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN USJune 12HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USSeptember 2HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USOctober 23LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US
Aggressive (50%)April 15LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN USJune 5HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USSeptember 8HIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN USOctober 28LA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US

Growing season length

The growing season is the stretch between the last spring frost and the first fall frost at 32°F. NOAA gives it as a length with a chance of being at least that long. Each risk level uses the length with that chance of a shorter season, so Conservative shows the shortest lengths.

Growing season at 32°F: shortest and longest among 179 stations
Risk levelShortestLongest
Conservative (90% chance of at least this long)67 daysHIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN US175 daysLA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US
Typical (70% chance of at least this long)84 daysHIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN US186 daysLA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US
Aggressive (50% chance of at least this long)93 daysHIBBING CHISHOLM HIBBING AP, MN US194 daysLA CRESCENT DAM 7, MN US
Number of stations by growing season length, Typical (70% chance of at least this long)
Growing seasonStations
80–99 days6
100–119 days18
120–139 days61
140–159 days79
160–179 days14
180–199 days1

Planting windows across Minnesota

For each crop, the earliest start and the latest end of its Typical windows among the stations. A window at any one station is shorter and falls inside this span. Transplant dates are for seedlings. A fall window is left out at stations where it would start on or before the last day of the spring window, so some rows cover fewer stations.

Typical planting windows (30% frost dates): earliest start and latest end among stations
Crop and taskEarliest startLatest endStations
Basil: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Bean: Sow outdoorsApril 23June 12179 of 179
Beet: Sow outdoorsMarch 26June 12179 of 179
Beet: Sow for fallJune 14September 3178 of 179
Broccoli: Transplant outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Broccoli: Transplant for fallMay 31September 3179 of 179
Brussels sprouts: Transplant outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Brussels sprouts: Transplant for fallMay 18September 13170 of 179
Cabbage: Transplant outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Cabbage: Transplant for fallMay 30September 3178 of 179
Cantaloupe: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Cantaloupe: Sow outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Carrot: Sow outdoorsMarch 26June 12179 of 179
Carrot: Sow for fallJune 6August 24174 of 179
Cucumber: Transplant outdoorsApril 30June 19179 of 179
Cucumber: Sow outdoorsApril 23June 12179 of 179
Eggplant: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Garlic: Plant for fallSeptember 2November 6179 of 179
Lettuce: Transplant outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Lettuce: Sow outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Lettuce: Sow for fallMay 31September 13179 of 179
Onion: Transplant or plant setsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Peas: Sow outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Peas: Sow for fallJune 8September 3179 of 179
Pepper: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Potato: Plant seed potatoesMarch 26June 12179 of 179
Pumpkin: Sow outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Radish: Sow outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Radish: Sow for fallJuly 15October 3179 of 179
Spinach: Transplant outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Spinach: Sow outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Spinach: Sow for fallJune 20September 16179 of 179
Summer squash: Transplant outdoorsApril 30June 19179 of 179
Summer squash: Sow outdoorsApril 23June 12179 of 179
Sweet corn: Sow outdoorsApril 23June 12179 of 179
Sweet potato: Plant slipsApril 30June 26179 of 179
Tomato: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Turnip: Sow outdoorsMarch 26May 29179 of 179
Turnip: Sow for fallJune 20September 13179 of 179
Watermelon: Transplant outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179
Watermelon: Sow outdoorsMay 7June 26179 of 179

Weather stations in Minnesota

Every station in Minnesota with NOAA frost-date normals, with its Typical 32°F frost dates and growing season. 3 of them have no 32°F frost dates.

Data sources

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, frost dates, 1991–2020 normals, version 1.0.1
Files: us-climate-normals_1991-2020_v1.0.1_annualseasonal_multivariate_by-station_c20230404.tar.gz, inventory_30yr.txt from NOAA NCEI. Retrieved October 10, 2026.