USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 56304 — Saint Cloud, Minnesota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from St Cloud Regional Airport, MN (1,018 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Saint Cloud, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, St Cloud Regional Airport, MN).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- September 30
- Growing season
- 144 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 7
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 47.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saint Cloud
Half of springs at St Cloud Regional Airport, MN see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 23 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 77% of the 142 Minnesota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 30 in half of years, as early as September 16 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 144 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 142 Minnesota stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 122 one year in ten. On average 173 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 11 days longer, to about May 18, and return around September 22. 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 4 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 16°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at St Cloud Regional Airport, 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 56304 →Compare Saint Cloud with another place →
Weather by month in Saint Cloud
July is the warmest month at St Cloud Regional Airport, MN, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 21°F and 3°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 2,311 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 33% of them (759) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 628. Precipitation totals 28.7 inches a year, most in August (4.0") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | 3 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 26 | 7 | 0.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 20 | 1.6 | 100% | 26 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 2.6 | 100% | 16 | 44 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.7 | 73% | 3 | 228 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 481 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 550 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.0 | 51% | 2 | 303 |
| Oct | 56 | 36 | 2.6 | 100% | 12 | 66 |
| Nov | 39 | 23 | 1.4 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 0.9 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at St Cloud Regional Airport, MN (1,018 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, Collegeville St John'S, MN, 14 miles west of Saint Cloud and 192 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 3), a first frost 7 days later (October 7), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Saint Cloud, Minnesota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Saint Cloud usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at St Cloud Regional Airport, MN, 3 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 56304
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 30 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 56304 is 3 miles from St Cloud Regional Airport, MN, which stands at 1,018 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 56301 (Saint Cloud). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 56304 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.