USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57003 — Baltic, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD (1,594 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Baltic, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 155 days (NOAA, Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 155 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 6
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Baltic
Half of springs at Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 59% of the 49 South Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 155 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 174 days one year in ten and falls short of 137 one year in ten. On average 163 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 10, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 10 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD, 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 57003 →Compare Baltic with another place →
Weather by month in Baltic
July is the warmest month at Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD, averaging 83°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 6°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,608 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 34% of them (896) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671. Precipitation totals 29.7 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 6 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 23 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 12 | 66 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 3.8 | 53% | 2 | 275 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 544 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 671 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.1 | 38% | 1 | 347 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 2.3 | 100% | 11 | 96 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.3 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Dec | 29 | 12 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD (1,594 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, Sioux Falls WFO Airport, SD, 10 miles south of Baltic and 164 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 9 days later (October 13), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Baltic, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Baltic usually arrives around November 6, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sioux Falls, SD, 9.6 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 18 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57003
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 57003 is 6 miles from Sioux Falls 14 NNE, SD, which stands at 1,594 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 57022 (Dell Rapids). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57003 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 South Dakota →
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.