USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57053 — Parker, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bridgewater, SD (1,417 ft), 21 miles northwest.
Updated
In Parker, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 161 days (NOAA, Bridgewater, SD).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 161 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 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 40.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Parker
Half of springs at Bridgewater, SD see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 15, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 49 South Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 7 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 161 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 165 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 7 days longer, to about May 7, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bridgewater, 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 57053 →Compare Parker with another place →
Weather by month in Parker
July is the warmest month at Bridgewater, SD, averaging 85°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°F and 8°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,858 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 33% of them (948) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 739.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 8 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 12 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 100% | 13 | 71 |
| May | 69 | 47 | 44% | 1 | 284 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jul | 85 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Aug | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 659 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 25% | 1 | 393 |
| Oct | 61 | 37 | 100% | 10 | 107 |
| Nov | 44 | 24 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Dec | 30 | 13 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bridgewater, SD (1,417 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, 23 miles northeast of Parker, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 26), a first frost 6 days later (October 13), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Parker, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Parker usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Marion, SD, 6.1 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57053
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 57053 is 21 miles from Bridgewater, SD, which stands at 1,417 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57053 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.