USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 56057 — Le Center, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Peter, MN (795 ft), 13 miles southwest.
Updated
In Le Center, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, St Peter, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 4
- 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 13
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 39.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Le Center
Half of springs at St Peter, MN see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 14. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 14 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 85% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 9 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 170 days one year in ten and falls short of 136 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 8 days longer, to about May 10, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and March 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Peter, 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 56057 →Compare Le Center with another place →
Weather by month in Le Center
July is the warmest month at St Peter, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 3°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,518 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (841) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 668. Precipitation totals 32.6 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 3 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 | 1.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 12 | 54 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 4.0 | 55% | 1 | 256 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 522 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.2 | 36% | 1 | 328 |
| Oct | 58 | 35 | 2.5 | 100% | 10 | 82 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.7 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Dec | 28 | 11 | 1.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Peter, MN (795 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, Jordan 1SSW, MN, 18 miles north of Le Center, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (October 5).
When it snows in Le Center, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Le Center usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Montgomery, MN, 5.5 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 56057
| 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 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 56057 is 13 miles from St Peter, MN, which stands at 795 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 56082 (Saint Peter). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56057 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.