Frost dates for Minneapolis, Minnesota
In Minneapolis, half of springs have had their last frost by April 23 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 7), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 18, leaving about 176 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Last spring frost
April 23
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 7: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 18
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 1.
Growing season
176 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 158.
Hardiness zone
5a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −20°F to −15°F. On the 2012 map it was 4b, half a zone colder. All 30 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 5a.
Print a year planner for Minneapolis
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | April 8 | April 23 | May 7 |
| First frost in fall | October 1 | October 18 | October 31 |
The frost-free season between them runs 176 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 196 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 158 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 13 and first on October 29. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on May 3 and first on October 6. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Minneapolis comes between April 8 and May 7, a window of 29 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Minnesota's 179 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 94 percent have their typical last frost later than Minneapolis does.
Planting calendar for Minneapolis
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| February | ||
| February 5 to March 5 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 19 to March 19 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 5 to 26 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 12 to 26 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 19 to April 2 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March 26 to April 9 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March 26 to April 9 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April | ||
| April 9 to 23 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 9 to 23 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 23 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May | ||
| May 7 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 7 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 23 to June 6 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 11 |
| June | ||
| June 12 to 26 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 31 |
| July | ||
| July 22 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| July 26 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 27 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| July 31 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 1 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 5 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 15 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 25 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 4 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 1 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 5 to 12 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 14 days later. That plans around May 7, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Minneapolis/st Paul Airport (station USW00014922), 6 miles from the center of Minneapolis. It sits at about the same elevation, 870 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Bloomington, Eagan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Edina, Inver Grove Heights, Richfield and Roseville.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 19 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 55111, 55120, 55121, 55122, 55150, 55337, 55407, 55408, 55409, 55410, 55417, 55419, 55420, 55423, 55424, 55425, 55431, 55435, 55450. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- St. Paul, Minnesota: last frost around April 24, first frost around October 16 (8 miles away)
- Rochester, Minnesota: last frost around April 30, first frost around October 6 (75 miles away)
See frost dates across Minnesota, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.