USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57551 — Martin, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Martin, SD (3,330 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Martin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 13 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 2, as early as September 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 141 days (NOAA, Martin, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 13
- First fall frost
- October 2
- Growing season
- 141 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 5
- Last snow
- April 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 48.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Martin
Half of springs at Martin, SD see their last 32°F night by May 13; only one in ten is past it by April 30, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 27 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 2 in half of years, as early as September 18 one year in ten, and holds off past October 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 17, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 141 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 158 days one year in ten and falls short of 120 one year in ten. On average 170 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 22, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 3 and April 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 7 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 16°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Martin, 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 57551 →Compare Martin with another place →
Weather by month in Martin
July is the warmest month at Martin, SD, averaging 87°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 13°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 89% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,664 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 29% of them (779) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 720. Precipitation totals 20.8 inches a year, most in June (3.5") and least in January (0.4"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 13 | 0.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 38 | 15 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 50 | 24 | 1.2 | 100% | 25 | 19 |
| Apr | 59 | 32 | 2.4 | 100% | 15 | 60 |
| May | 69 | 42 | 3.3 | 89% | 4 | 218 |
| Jun | 79 | 53 | 3.5 | 5% | <1 | 482 |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Aug | 86 | 57 | 2.2 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Sep | 77 | 48 | 1.2 | 41% | 1 | 393 |
| Oct | 61 | 35 | 1.6 | 100% | 12 | 92 |
| Nov | 47 | 23 | 0.8 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Dec | 36 | 15 | 0.6 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Martin, SD (3,330 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, Kyle 2 E, SD, 29 miles northwest of Martin and 372 feet lower, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 11), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 1), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Martin, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Martin usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Martin, SD, 5.1 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57551
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 4 – March 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 15 – April 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 2 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 57551 is 5 miles from Martin, SD, which stands at 3,330 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57551 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.