USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55011 — East Bethel, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cedar, MN (907 ft), 1 miles southwest.
Updated
In East Bethel, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 158 days (NOAA, Cedar, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 158 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 5
- Last snow
- April 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 63.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in East Bethel
Half of springs at Cedar, MN see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 17 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 77% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 7 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 158 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 137 one year in ten. On average 162 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 11 days longer, to about May 12, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cedar, MN, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 55011 →Compare East Bethel with another place →
Weather by month in East Bethel
July is the warmest month at Cedar, MN, averaging 80°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 6°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,515 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (840) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 646. Precipitation totals 34.4 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 6 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 28 | 10 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 66 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.3 | 50% | 2 | 275 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 4.6 | 1% | <1 | 494 |
| Jul | 80 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 646 |
| Aug | 78 | 59 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Sep | 71 | 51 | 3.1 | 25% | 1 | 349 |
| Oct | 57 | 39 | 3.1 | 99% | 9 | 93 |
| Nov | 41 | 25 | 1.9 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Dec | 27 | 13 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cedar, MN (907 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Andover 1N, MN, 6 miles south of East Bethel, has a last frost 4 days later (May 5), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 2), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in East Bethel, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in East Bethel usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cedar, MN, 1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55011
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 55011 is 1 mile from Cedar, MN, which stands at 907 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55011 in zone 4b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Minnesota →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.