USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57754 — Lead, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lead, SD (5,112 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Lead, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 18 in half of years and has passed by June 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 29, as early as September 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 133 days (NOAA, Lead, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 18
- First fall frost
- September 29
- Growing season
- 133 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
- October 4
- Last snow
- May 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 183.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lead
Half of springs at Lead, SD see their last 32°F night by May 18; only one in ten is past it by May 5, and one in ten still has one after June 1. Planting tender crops after May 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 28 20%, and after June 1 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 September 29 in half of years, as early as September 15 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 21, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 133 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 153 days one year in ten and falls short of 112 one year in ten. On average 167 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 29, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 3 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 7 | Jun 14 |
| 32°F | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 24°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 28 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 20°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 16°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lead, 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 57754 →Compare Lead with another place →
Weather by month in Lead
July is the warmest month at Lead, SD, averaging 82°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 10% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,153 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 27% of them (575) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 595. Precipitation totals 31.6 inches a year, most in May (4.9") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 18 | 1.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 18 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 47 | 25 | 2.2 | 100% | 25 | 13 |
| Apr | 54 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 39 |
| May | 63 | 41 | 4.9 | 95% | 6 | 148 |
| Jun | 74 | 50 | 3.8 | 10% | <1 | 372 |
| Jul | 82 | 57 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Aug | 81 | 55 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 2.0 | 54% | 2 | 317 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 89 |
| Nov | 46 | 25 | 1.7 | 100% | 23 | 16 |
| Dec | 38 | 19 | 1.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lead, SD (5,112 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, Deadwood, SD, 6 miles northeast of Lead and 442 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days later (May 24), a first frost 4 days earlier (September 25), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Lead, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lead usually arrives around October 4, and the last of the season around May 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lead, SD, 5.2 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 7 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57754
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 9 – March 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 20 – May 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 29 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 57754 is 5 miles from Lead, SD, which stands at 5,112 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57754 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.