USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 55436 — Edina, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, MN (907 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Edina, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 172 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 9
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 51.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Edina
Half of springs at Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, MN see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 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 14 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, longer than at 93% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 145 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 3, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mpls Flying Cloud 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 55436 →Compare Edina with another place →
Weather by month in Edina
July is the warmest month at Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, MN, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 8°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 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,932 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (992) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 739. Precipitation totals 30.8 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (0.6"); May to September bring 67% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 8 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 12 | 0.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 1.5 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 57 | 37 | 2.7 | 99% | 8 | 84 |
| May | 70 | 49 | 3.9 | 22% | <1 | 314 |
| Jun | 79 | 59 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Aug | 81 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.1 | 14% | <1 | 411 |
| Oct | 59 | 40 | 2.3 | 94% | 6 | 115 |
| Nov | 43 | 27 | 1.4 | 100% | 20 | 12 |
| Dec | 29 | 14 | 0.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, 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, Minneapolis/St Paul Airport, MN, 7 miles east of Edina, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 4 days later (October 18), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Edina, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Edina usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Minneapolis/St Paul Airport, MN, 7.1 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 11 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55436
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 55436 is 7 miles from Mpls Flying Cloud Airport, MN, which stands at 907 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55379 (Shakopee). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55436 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.