USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 58103 — Fargo, North Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fargo 3S, ND (908 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fargo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 2, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, Fargo 3S, ND).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 2
- Growing season
- 151 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 5
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fargo
Half of springs at Fargo 3S, ND see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 82% of the 33 North 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 22 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 9, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 151 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 33 North Dakota stations; it reaches 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 133 one year in ten. On average 183 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 13, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 9 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 16°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fargo 3S, ND, 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 58103 →Compare Fargo with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Moorhead, MN, 4 miles northeast of Fargo, has a last frost 1 day later (May 5), a first frost 1 day later (October 3), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Fargo, North Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fargo usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Moorhead, MN, 3.7 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 58103
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 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 58103 is 2 miles from Fargo 3S, ND, which stands at 908 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 58103 in zone 4a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across North 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.