USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 55130 — Saint Paul, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Paul Downtown Airport, MN (700 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Saint Paul, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, St Paul Downtown Airport, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 174 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 5
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saint Paul
Half of springs at St Paul Downtown Airport, MN see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, longer than at 94% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 146 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 10 days longer, to about May 4, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Paul Downtown Airport, 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 55130 →Compare Saint Paul with another place →
Weather by month in Saint Paul
July is the warmest month at St Paul Downtown Airport, MN, averaging 83°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 9°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,831 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (950) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 722. Precipitation totals 29.3 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in January (0.5"); May to September bring 68% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 9 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 13 | 0.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 25 | 1.4 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 2.6 | 99% | 8 | 79 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 4.0 | 29% | 1 | 293 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jul | 83 | 64 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Aug | 80 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Sep | 72 | 53 | 3.1 | 7% | 0 | 393 |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.5 | 92% | 6 | 104 |
| Nov | 42 | 27 | 1.3 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 29 | 15 | 0.7 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Paul Downtown Airport, MN (700 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, St Paul, MN, 3 miles southeast of Saint Paul and 200 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (April 26), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 12), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Saint Paul, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saint Paul usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at St Paul, MN, 3 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 13 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55130
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 55130 is 3 miles from St Paul Downtown Airport, MN, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55118 (West St Paul). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55130 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.