USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 55964 — Plainview, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Theilman 1SSW, MN (753 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Plainview, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 2, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, Theilman 1SSW, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 2
- Growing season
- 148 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 22
- Last snow
- March 29
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 48.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Plainview
Half of springs at Theilman 1SSW, MN see their last 32°F night by May 7; 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 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 64% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 2 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 12; 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 148 days in a typical year, shorter than at 59% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 170 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 16, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 26 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Theilman 1SSW, 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 55964 →Compare Plainview with another place →
Weather by month in Plainview
July is the warmest month at Theilman 1SSW, MN, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,582 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (855) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 673. Precipitation totals 35.7 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 4 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 8 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 10 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 4.4 | 74% | 3 | 254 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Sep | 74 | 49 | 3.8 | 41% | 1 | 353 |
| Oct | 60 | 36 | 2.5 | 100% | 13 | 91 |
| Nov | 43 | 25 | 2.0 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Dec | 30 | 13 | 1.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Theilman 1SSW, MN (753 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, Alma Dam 4, WI, 17 miles northeast of Plainview, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 28), a first frost 12 days later (October 14), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Plainview, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Plainview usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Theilman 1SSW, MN, 8.1 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 55964
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 2 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 55964 is 8 miles from Theilman 1SSW, MN, which stands at 753 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55041 (Lake City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 55964 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.