USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 56011 — Belle Plaine, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jordan 1SSW, MN (900 ft), 7 miles east.
Updated
In Belle Plaine, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, Jordan 1SSW, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 153 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 23
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 84%
- Snow per year
- 39.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Belle Plaine
Half of springs at Jordan 1SSW, MN see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 153 days in a typical year, longer than at 57% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 173 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 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 11, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 27.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jordan 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 56011 →Compare Belle Plaine with another place →
Weather by month in Belle Plaine
July is the warmest month at Jordan 1SSW, MN, averaging 81°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 5°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,478 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (824) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 648. Precipitation totals 33.6 inches a year, most in August (5.2") and least in January (0.8"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 5 | 0.8 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 9 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 2.8 | 100% | 13 | 54 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 4.5 | 57% | 2 | 241 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 519 |
| Jul | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 3.2 | 33% | 1 | 339 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 2.7 | 99% | 10 | 90 |
| Nov | 41 | 25 | 1.6 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
| Dec | 27 | 12 | 1.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jordan 1SSW, MN (900 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, Chaska 2NW, MN, 15 miles northeast of Belle Plaine, has a last frost 3 days later (May 5), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Belle Plaine, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Belle Plaine usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Jordan 1SSW, MN, 7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 84% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56011
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 56011 is 7 miles from Jordan 1SSW, MN, which stands at 900 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 56071 (New Prague). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56011 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.