USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 58474 — Oakes, North Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Oakes, ND (1,324 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Oakes, 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 September 28, as early as September 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Oakes, ND).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- September 28
- Growing season
- 144 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 13
- Last snow
- April 3
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 36.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Oakes
Half of springs at Oakes, ND 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 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 21% of the 33 North Dakota stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 28 in half of years, as early as September 16 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 7; 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 144 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 33 North Dakota stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 184 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 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 6 and April 3.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 28°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 24°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 20°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 16°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Oakes, 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 58474 →Compare Oakes with another place →
Weather by month in Oakes
July is the warmest month at Oakes, ND, averaging 83°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 19°F and 0°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,285 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 73% of the 33 North Dakota stations. 32% of them (728) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 642.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | 0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 25 | 3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 38 | 16 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 34 |
| May | 68 | 43 | 79% | 3 | 225 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 466 |
| Jul | 83 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Aug | 81 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 567 |
| Sep | 72 | 46 | 58% | 2 | 288 |
| Oct | 57 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| Nov | 38 | 18 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Dec | 25 | 7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Oakes, ND (1,324 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, Lisbon, ND, 32 miles northeast of Oakes and 175 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days later (May 12), a first frost 1 day earlier (September 27), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Oakes, North Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Oakes usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fullerton 1 ESE, ND, 14.3 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 35 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 58474
| 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 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 28 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 58474 is 4 miles from Oakes, ND, which stands at 1,324 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 58474 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.