USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 56284 — Renville, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Olivia 3E, MN (1,100 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Renville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Olivia 3E, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 146 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 14
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Renville
Half of springs at Olivia 3E, MN see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 37% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 1 in half of years, as early as September 15 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 10, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 64% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 127 one year in ten. On average 170 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 15, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 8 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 4 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Olivia 3E, 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 56284 →Compare Renville with another place →
Weather by month in Renville
July is the warmest month at Olivia 3E, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 21°F and 2°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,403 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 34% of them (816) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 635. Precipitation totals 27.9 inches a year, most in June (4.9") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 2 | 0.6 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 5 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 19 | 1.4 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 2.5 | 100% | 14 | 48 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 3.3 | 73% | 2 | 246 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 516 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Sep | 73 | 47 | 2.9 | 49% | 1 | 318 |
| Oct | 59 | 34 | 2.2 | 100% | 12 | 75 |
| Nov | 42 | 21 | 1.3 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Dec | 27 | 9 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Olivia 3E, MN (1,100 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, Granite Falls, MN, 17 miles west of Renville and 170 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 4), the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Renville, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Renville usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Olivia 3E, MN, 13.7 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56284
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 56284 is 14 miles from Olivia 3E, MN, which stands at 1,100 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 56277 (Olivia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56284 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.