USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 56063 — Madison Lake, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mankato, MN (850 ft), 11 miles west.
Updated
In Madison Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 161 days (NOAA, Mankato, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 161 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 9
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Madison Lake
Half of springs at Mankato, MN see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 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 9 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 161 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 141 one year in ten. On average 161 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 8, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mankato, 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 56063 →Compare Madison Lake with another place →
Weather by month in Madison Lake
July is the warmest month at Mankato, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 6°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,657 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (895) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 676. Precipitation totals 33.9 inches a year, most in June (5.6") and least in February (0.8"); May to September bring 64% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 6 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 9 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 12 | 62 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 4.2 | 46% | 1 | 279 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 548 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.3 | 22% | 1 | 366 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 2.4 | 98% | 10 | 106 |
| Nov | 43 | 25 | 1.7 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.1 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mankato, MN (850 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, St Peter, MN, 11 miles northwest of Madison Lake, has a last frost 2 days later (May 2), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 4), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Madison Lake, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Madison Lake usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mankato, MN, 10.6 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56063
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 56063 is 11 miles from Mankato, MN, which stands at 850 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 56001 (Mankato). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56063 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.