USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 58301 — Devils Lake, North Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Devils Lake, ND (1,440 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Devils Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 12 in half of years and has passed by May 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 141 days (NOAA, Devils Lake, ND).
- Last spring frost
- May 12
- First fall frost
- September 30
- Growing season
- 141 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 6
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 83%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Devils Lake
Half of springs at Devils Lake, ND see their last 32°F night by May 12; only one in ten is past it by April 30, and one in ten still has one after May 24. Planting tender crops after May 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 20 20%, and after May 24 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% of the 33 North Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 30 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 141 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 33 North Dakota stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 196 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 8 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 6 and April 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 16°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Devils Lake, 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 58301 →Compare Devils Lake with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Devils Lake
In Devils Lake, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 24 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 19, 118 days later; that gap is longer than at 70% of the 33 North Dakota stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 24 days (April 30 to May 24) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 25 days (September 19 to October 14): both ends of the season vary about as much.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 28 | over 90% | 70% |
| May 5 | 77% | 45% |
| May 1250% date | 50% | 20% |
| May 19 | 23% | under 10% |
| May 26 | under 10% | under 10% |
| Jun 2 | under 10% | under 10% |
When it snows in Devils Lake, North Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Devils Lake usually arrives around November 6, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Minnewaukan, ND, 18.2 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 83% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 58301
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 3 – March 17 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 17 – March 31 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 14 – April 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 30 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 58301 is 1 mile from Devils Lake, ND, which stands at 1,440 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 58301 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.