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USDA Hardiness Zone 4a

Frost Dates for 56474 — Pine River, Minnesota

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Deep Portage, MN (1,471 ft), 13 miles north.

Updated

In Pine River, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 150 days (NOAA, Deep Portage, MN).

Last spring frost
May 5

50% probability

First fall frost
October 5

50% probability

Growing season
150 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
4a

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

First snow
November 10

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 5

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

20 of 20 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Pine River

Half of springs at Deep Portage, MN see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 14 20%, and after May 19 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 11 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 170 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 179 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 16, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 2.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 4May 8May 11May 14May 16May 19May 23May 26May 30
32°FApr 24Apr 29May 1May 3May 5May 8May 11May 14May 19
28°FApr 12Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 26Apr 29May 2May 5May 8
24°FApr 4Apr 7Apr 11Apr 14Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 25Apr 30
20°FMar 26Apr 1Apr 3Apr 6Apr 8Apr 10Apr 13Apr 16Apr 21
16°FMar 17Mar 23Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2Apr 4Apr 6Apr 9Apr 14
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
28°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 2
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
20°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Deep Portage, 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 56474 →Compare Pine River with another place →

Weather by month in Pine River

July is the warmest month at Deep Portage, MN, averaging 80°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 19°F and 1°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 71% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,143 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 142 Minnesota stations. 32% of them (688) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 598.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Deep Portage, MN
MonthHigh °FLow °F32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan191100%310
Feb254100%280
Mar3818100%282
Apr5231100%1935
May664471%4208
Jun75550%0443
Jul80590%0598
Aug78570%0528
Sep684830%1269
Oct543699%1457
Nov3723100%254
Dec2511100%310

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Deep Portage, MN (1,471 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, Pine Rvr Dam, MN, 14 miles east of Pine River and 221 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (May 6), a first frost 2 days later (October 7), a season 2 days longer.

Frost dates for 56472 (Pequot Lakes) →

When it snows in Pine River, Minnesota

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pine River usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Deep Portage, MN, 12.5 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 30 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 56474

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Pine River, Minnesota
WhenWhat to do
February 24 – March 10Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 10 – March 24Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 7 – April 21Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 5 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 13Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 21Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 5 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 56474 is 13 miles from Deep Portage, MN, which stands at 1,471 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 56474 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