USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57356 — Lake Andes, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pickstown, SD (1,490 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Lake Andes, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 165 days (NOAA, Pickstown, SD).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 165 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 20
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 31.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake Andes
Half of springs at Pickstown, SD see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 90% of the 49 South Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 13 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 165 days in a typical year, longer than at 98% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 148 one year in ten. On average 152 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 8 days longer, to about May 8, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pickstown, 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 57356 →Compare Lake Andes with another place →
Weather by month in Lake Andes
July is the warmest month at Pickstown, SD, averaging 87°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 12°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 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,142 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 32% of them (997) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 795. Precipitation totals 24.4 inches a year, most in May (4.0") and least in January (0.5"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 12 | 0.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 37 | 15 | 0.7 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Mar | 48 | 24 | 1.1 | 100% | 24 | 23 |
| Apr | 59 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 11 | 84 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 4.0 | 48% | 1 | 296 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Jul | 87 | 64 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Sep | 78 | 53 | 2.4 | 12% | <1 | 458 |
| Oct | 63 | 39 | 2.2 | 96% | 8 | 139 |
| Nov | 48 | 26 | 0.8 | 100% | 22 | 20 |
| Dec | 35 | 16 | 0.7 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pickstown, SD (1,490 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, Wagner, SD, 12 miles east of Lake Andes, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 29), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 9), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Lake Andes, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lake Andes usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pickstown, SD, 5.3 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57356
| 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 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 57356 is 5 miles from Pickstown, SD, which stands at 1,490 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57356 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.