USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 56088 — Truman, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fairmont, MN (1,187 ft), 13 miles south.
Updated
In Truman, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 171 days (NOAA, Fairmont, MN).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 171 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 10
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Truman
Half of springs at Fairmont, MN see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 171 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 189 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 151 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 4, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fairmont, 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 56088 →Compare Truman with another place →
Weather by month in Truman
July is the warmest month at Fairmont, MN, averaging 83°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 7°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,891 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (974) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 725. Precipitation totals 33.5 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 7 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 28 | 10 | 1.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 3.5 | 99% | 9 | 66 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 4.6 | 28% | 1 | 301 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Jul | 83 | 64 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 725 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Sep | 75 | 52 | 3.4 | 11% | <1 | 409 |
| Oct | 60 | 39 | 2.3 | 96% | 7 | 121 |
| Nov | 43 | 25 | 1.6 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fairmont, MN (1,187 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 James Wwtp, MN, 14 miles northwest of Truman, has a last frost 5 days later (April 30), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 7), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Truman, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Truman usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fairmont, MN, 13.1 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56088
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 56088 is 13 miles from Fairmont, MN, which stands at 1,187 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 56031 (Fairmont). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56088 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.