USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 56258 — Marshall, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marshall, MN (1,149 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Marshall, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 150 days (NOAA, Marshall, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 150 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 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Marshall
Half of springs at Marshall, MN see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 61% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 150 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 168 days one year in ten and falls short of 133 one year in ten. On average 158 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 13, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 8 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 16°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marshall, 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 56258 →Compare Marshall with another place →
Weather by month in Marshall
July is the warmest month at Marshall, MN, averaging 85°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 4°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,760 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (922) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 708. Precipitation totals 29.1 inches a year, most in June (4.1") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 4 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 41 | 20 | 1.6 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
| Apr | 57 | 32 | 2.8 | 100% | 12 | 63 |
| May | 70 | 46 | 3.7 | 66% | 1 | 283 |
| Jun | 81 | 57 | 4.1 | 2% | 0 | 567 |
| Jul | 85 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 3.1 | 38% | <1 | 382 |
| Oct | 60 | 36 | 2.3 | 100% | 9 | 104 |
| Nov | 43 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 23 | 12 |
| Dec | 30 | 10 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marshall, MN (1,149 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, Tracy, MN, 16 miles southeast of Marshall and 254 feet higher, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 2 days later (October 5), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Marshall, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Marshall usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marshall, MN, 1.9 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 56258
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 56258 is 2 miles from Marshall, MN, which stands at 1,149 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 56258 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.