USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57752 — Kyle, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kyle 2 E, SD (2,958 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Kyle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 139 days (NOAA, Kyle 2 E, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 139 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 1
- Last snow
- April 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kyle
Half of springs at Kyle 2 E, SD see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 27 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest 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 15 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 9; 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 139 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 158 days one year in ten and falls short of 119 one year in ten. On average 181 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 10 days longer, to about May 21, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 2 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 17 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 28°F | Apr 17 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 5 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 20°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 16°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kyle 2 E, 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 57752 →Compare Kyle with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Martin, SD, 26 miles southeast of Kyle and 372 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (May 13), a first frost 1 day later (October 2), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Kyle, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kyle usually arrives around November 1, and the last of the season around April 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Porcupine 11 N, SD, 10.7 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57752
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 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 57752 is 4 miles from Kyle 2 E, SD, which stands at 2,958 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57752 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.