USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55963 — Pine Island, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Zumbrota, MN (970 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Pine Island, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Zumbrota, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- September 30
- Growing season
- 144 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 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pine Island
Half of springs at Zumbrota, MN see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 22 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 September 30 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 144 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 127 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 18, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 7 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 23 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 28°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Zumbrota, 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 55963 →Compare Pine Island with another place →
Weather by month in Pine Island
July is the warmest month at Zumbrota, MN, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 4°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,419 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (803) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 637. Precipitation totals 35.2 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 4 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 14 | 56 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 4.2 | 75% | 2 | 234 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 5.3 | 1% | 0 | 504 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.9 | 52% | 1 | 325 |
| Oct | 59 | 36 | 2.6 | 100% | 11 | 87 |
| Nov | 42 | 24 | 1.8 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
| Dec | 28 | 12 | 1.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Zumbrota, MN (970 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, Byron 4north, MN, 7 miles south of Pine Island, has a last frost 3 days later (May 12), a first frost 2 days earlier (September 28), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Pine Island, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pine Island usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Zumbrota, 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55963
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 30 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 55963 is 7 miles from Zumbrota, MN, which stands at 970 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 55992 (Zumbrota). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55963 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.