USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 56187 — Worthington, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Worthington 2 NNE, MN (1,570 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Worthington, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 15 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, Worthington 2 NNE, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 153 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 5
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Worthington
Half of springs at Worthington 2 NNE, MN see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 15 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 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 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 172 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 one year in ten. On average 167 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 12, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Worthington 2 NNE, 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 56187 →Compare Worthington with another place →
Weather by month in Worthington
July is the warmest month at Worthington 2 NNE, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,542 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (854) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 663. Precipitation totals 30.6 inches a year, most in June (5.2") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 5 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 10 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.5 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 55 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 55 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 4.1 | 60% | 2 | 254 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 537 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.2 | 38% | 1 | 343 |
| Oct | 59 | 36 | 2.4 | 100% | 11 | 95 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 24 | 10 |
| Dec | 28 | 12 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Worthington 2 NNE, MN (1,570 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, Sibley, IA, 17 miles southwest of Worthington, has a last frost 2 days later (May 5), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 3), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Worthington, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Worthington usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Worthington 2 NNE, MN, 1.7 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56187
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 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 56187 is 2 miles from Worthington 2 NNE, MN, which stands at 1,570 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56187 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.