Frost dates for Rochester, Minnesota
In Rochester, half of springs have had their last frost by April 30 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 13), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 6, leaving about 159 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
Rochester, Minnesota
Last spring frost
April 30
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 13: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 6
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by September 22.
Growing season
159 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 140.
Hardiness zone
4b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −25°F to −20°F. It was 4b on the 2012 map too. All 4 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 4b.
Print a year planner for Rochester
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 15 | April 30 | May 13 |
| First frost in fall | September 22 | October 6 | October 20 |
The frost-free season between them runs 159 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 178 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 140 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 18 and first on October 17. 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 9 and first on September 28. 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 Rochester comes between April 15 and May 13, a window of 28 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, 77 percent have their typical last frost later than Rochester does.
Planting calendar for Rochester
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.
Your season is too short for a separate fall planting of cabbage: sown late enough to be a fall crop, it wouldn't be ready before the typical first frost. Your spring planting is your harvest.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| February | ||
| February 12 to March 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 26 to March 26 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 12 to April 2 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 19 to April 2 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 26 to April 9 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 2 to 16 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 2 to 16 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 30 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May | ||
| May 14 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 14 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 31 to June 14 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 19 |
| July | ||
| July 10 | 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 14 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 15 | 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 19 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 20 | 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 |
| July 24 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 3 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 13 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 23 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 22 | 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 |
| October | ||
| October 24 to 31 | 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 13 days later. That plans around May 13, 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 Rochester International Airport (station USW00014925), 8 miles from the center of Rochester. It sits 250 feet higher, at 1,310 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.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 7 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 55902, 55904, 55929, 55934, 55940, 55972, 55976. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- St. Paul, Minnesota: last frost around April 24, first frost around October 16 (70 miles away)
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: last frost around April 23, first frost around October 18 (75 miles away)
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa: last frost around April 27, first frost around October 11 (145 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.