USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55358 — Maple Lake, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Buffalo 2NE, MN (992 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Maple Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Buffalo 2NE, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 9
- 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 13
- Last snow
- April 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 39.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Maple Lake
Half of springs at Buffalo 2NE, MN see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 13. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 13 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 9 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 12 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 11 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 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 163 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 9 days longer, to about May 9, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Buffalo 2NE, 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 55358 →Compare Maple Lake with another place →
Weather by month in Maple Lake
July is the warmest month at Buffalo 2NE, MN, averaging 81°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 21°F and 3°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,462 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (810) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 652. Precipitation totals 31.6 inches a year, most in August (4.5") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 66% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 3 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 21 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 8 |
| Apr | 54 | 35 | 2.6 | 100% | 12 | 53 |
| May | 67 | 47 | 4.2 | 45% | 1 | 245 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 505 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Sep | 71 | 51 | 3.4 | 20% | 1 | 337 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 2.5 | 98% | 9 | 79 |
| Nov | 40 | 24 | 1.5 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Dec | 27 | 11 | 1.1 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Buffalo 2NE, MN (992 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, Kimball 3N, MN, 17 miles northwest of Maple Lake and 168 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (May 2), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 5), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Maple Lake, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Maple Lake usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Buffalo 2NE, MN, 8.6 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55358
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 55358 is 9 miles from Buffalo 2NE, MN, which stands at 992 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55313 (Buffalo). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55358 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.