USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55354 — Lester Prairie, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hutchinson 1 N, MN (1,095 ft), 15 miles west.
Updated
In Lester Prairie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Hutchinson 1 N, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 163 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 10
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lester Prairie
Half of springs at Hutchinson 1 N, MN see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 85% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 8 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 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 8 days longer, to about May 6, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hutchinson 1 N, 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 55354 →Compare Lester Prairie with another place →
Weather by month in Lester Prairie
July is the warmest month at Hutchinson 1 N, MN, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 5°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,758 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (932) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 702. Precipitation totals 29.9 inches a year, most in August (4.8") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 68% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 5 | 0.6 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 9 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 2.2 | 100% | 11 | 69 |
| May | 69 | 48 | 4.0 | 39% | 1 | 295 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 563 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Aug | 81 | 60 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Sep | 74 | 52 | 3.0 | 24% | 1 | 386 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 2.5 | 98% | 9 | 102 |
| Nov | 41 | 25 | 1.5 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
| Dec | 27 | 12 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hutchinson 1 N, MN (1,095 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, Dassel 3SE, MN, 15 miles northwest of Lester Prairie, has a last frost 2 days later (April 30), a first frost 2 days later (October 10), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Lester Prairie, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lester Prairie usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hutchinson 1 N, MN, 15.2 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55354
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 55354 is 15 miles from Hutchinson 1 N, MN, which stands at 1,095 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55350 (Hutchinson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55354 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.