USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 55947 — La Crescent, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from La Crescent Dam 7, MN (647 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In La Crescent, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, La Crescent Dam 7, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 194 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 30
- Last snow
- March 19
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in La Crescent
Half of springs at La Crescent Dam 7, MN see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 1 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, the longest of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 175 one year in ten. On average 125 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 11 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at La Crescent Dam 7, 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 55947 →Compare La Crescent with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI, 5 miles northeast of La Crescent, has a last frost 8 days later (April 23), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 17), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in La Crescent, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in La Crescent usually arrives around November 30, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at La Crescent Dam 7, MN, 2.9 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55947
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 55947 is 3 miles from La Crescent Dam 7, MN, which stands at 647 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55947 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.