USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57004 — Beresford, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Centerville 6 SE, SD (1,276 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Beresford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, Centerville 6 SE, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 151 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 7
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 30.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beresford
Half of springs at Centerville 6 SE, SD see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 43% of the 49 South Dakota 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 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 11; 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 151 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 169 days one year in ten and falls short of 132 one year in ten. On average 164 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 13, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 7 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 3 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 16°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Centerville 6 SE, 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 57004 →Compare Beresford with another place →
Weather by month in Beresford
July is the warmest month at Centerville 6 SE, SD, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 7°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,822 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 34% of them (964) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 714. Precipitation totals 26.9 inches a year, most in June (4.3") and least in January (0.4"); May to September bring 65% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 7 | 0.4 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 11 | 0.6 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 23 | 1.4 | 100% | 25 | 16 |
| Apr | 59 | 34 | 2.7 | 100% | 12 | 78 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 3.9 | 57% | 1 | 292 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 75 | 50 | 3.1 | 46% | 1 | 385 |
| Oct | 62 | 36 | 2.3 | 100% | 11 | 111 |
| Nov | 45 | 23 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 12 |
| Dec | 31 | 12 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Centerville 6 SE, SD (1,276 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, Hawarden, IA, 16 miles east of Beresford, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 1), a first frost 3 days later (October 4), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Beresford, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Beresford usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Centerville 6 SE, SD, 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 20 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57004
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 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 57004 is 6 miles from Centerville 6 SE, SD, which stands at 1,276 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57004 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.