USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 57785 — Sturgis, South Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Meade, SD (3,308 ft), under a mile west.
Updated
In Sturgis, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Fort Meade, SD).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 147 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 17
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 47.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sturgis
Half of springs at Fort Meade, SD see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 43% of the 49 South Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 59% of the 49 South Dakota stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 157 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 19, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 7 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 20°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 16°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Meade, 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 57785 →Compare Sturgis with another place →
Weather by month in Sturgis
July is the warmest month at Fort Meade, SD, averaging 86°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 15°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,685 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 49 South Dakota stations. 29% of them (773) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 717. Precipitation totals 21.3 inches a year, most in May (4.4") 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 | 38 | 15 | 0.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 39 | 17 | 0.7 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 49 | 25 | 1.3 | 100% | 24 | 18 |
| Apr | 58 | 34 | 2.5 | 100% | 14 | 64 |
| May | 67 | 44 | 4.4 | 77% | 3 | 213 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 473 |
| Jul | 86 | 60 | 2.3 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Aug | 86 | 58 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 675 |
| Sep | 77 | 49 | 1.4 | 39% | 1 | 397 |
| Oct | 61 | 36 | 1.9 | 100% | 10 | 108 |
| Nov | 48 | 25 | 0.8 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Dec | 39 | 17 | 0.5 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Meade, SD (3,308 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, 13 miles west of Sturgis and 1,362 feet higher, has a last frost 16 days later (May 24), a first frost 8 days earlier (September 25), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Sturgis, South Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sturgis usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fort Meade, SD, 0.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 57785
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 57785 is under a mile from Fort Meade, SD, which stands at 3,308 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 57785 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.