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USDA Hardiness Zone 4a

Frost Dates for 56359 — Onamia, Minnesota

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Isle 12N, MN (1,285 ft), 19 miles northeast.

Updated

In Onamia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 10 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Isle 12N, MN).

Last spring frost
May 10

50% probability

First fall frost
October 3

50% probability

Growing season
144 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
4a

-30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°C) coldest night

First snow
November 19

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 6

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
93%

25 of 27 observed

Snow per year
31.6"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Onamia

Half of springs at Isle 12N, MN see their last 32°F night by May 10; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 16 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 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 176 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 14 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 3.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 8May 13May 17May 21May 24May 27May 30Jun 2Jun 7
32°FApr 27May 1May 4May 7May 10May 13May 17May 22May 28
28°FApr 15Apr 20Apr 24Apr 27Apr 30May 1May 4May 7May 12
24°FApr 5Apr 9Apr 13Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 29May 2
20°FMar 29Apr 2Apr 4Apr 7Apr 9Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 23
16°FMar 18Mar 24Mar 29Apr 1Apr 3Apr 5Apr 7Apr 11Apr 16
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 7Sep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 7
32°FSep 19Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
16°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Isle 12N, 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 56359 →Compare Onamia with another place →

Weather by month in Onamia

July is the warmest month at Isle 12N, MN, averaging 78°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 19°F and 0°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 80% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,024 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 80% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 30% of them (608) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 566. Precipitation totals 28.9 inches a year, most in July (4.4") and least in January (0.6"); May to September bring 65% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Isle 12N, MN
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan1900.6100%310
Feb2430.7100%280
Mar37171.4100%283
Apr51302.5100%1926
May65433.180%3176
Jun74534.35%<1403
Jul78584.40%0566
Aug77563.90%0510
Sep69493.036%1277
Oct54362.8100%1259
Nov38231.5100%254
Dec2490.7100%310

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Isle 12N, MN (1,285 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, Mora, MN, 22 miles southeast of Onamia and 267 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 9), a first frost 3 days earlier (September 30), a season 2 days shorter.

Frost dates for 55051 (Mora) →

When it snows in Onamia, Minnesota

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Onamia usually arrives around November 19, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Onamia Rs, MN, 0.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 34 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 56359

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Onamia, Minnesota
WhenWhat to do
March 1 – March 15Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 15 – March 29Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 12 – April 26Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 10 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 11Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 19Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 3 onwardPlant 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 56359 is 19 miles from Isle 12N, MN, which stands at 1,285 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 56359 in zone 4a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 4a places in Minnesota