USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55395 — Winsted, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dassel 3SE, MN (1,065 ft), 12 miles northwest.
Updated
In Winsted, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Dassel 3SE, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 162 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 16
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 41.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Winsted
Half of springs at Dassel 3SE, MN see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 158 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 8, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dassel 3SE, 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 55395 →Compare Winsted with another place →
Weather by month in Winsted
July is the warmest month at Dassel 3SE, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 21°F and 2°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 2,636 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (882) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 686. Precipitation totals 28.9 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 2 | 0.6 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 26 | 6 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 19 | 1.4 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 2.7 | 100% | 12 | 63 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.0 | 45% | 1 | 271 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 686 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 610 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.3 | 16% | <1 | 363 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | 100% | 8 | 89 |
| Nov | 41 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 23 | 5 |
| Dec | 26 | 11 | 0.9 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dassel 3SE, MN (1,065 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, Delano, MN, 15 miles northeast of Winsted, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (October 8), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Winsted, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Winsted usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dassel 3SE, MN, 12.2 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55395
| 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 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 55395 is 12 miles from Dassel 3SE, MN, which stands at 1,065 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55321 (Cokato). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55395 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.