USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 58703 — Minot, North Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Minot International Airport, ND (1,665 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Minot, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 10 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Minot International Airport, ND).
- Last spring frost
- May 10
- First fall frost
- October 1
- 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
- October 30
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Minot
Half of springs at Minot International Airport, ND see their last 32°F night by May 10; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 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 October 1 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 9 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 8 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 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 126 one year in ten. On average 177 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 19, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 4 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 16°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 20°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 16°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Minot International Airport, 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 58703 →Compare Minot with another place →
Weather by month in Minot
July is the warmest month at Minot International Airport, ND, averaging 84°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 4°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,425 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 33 North Dakota stations. 31% of them (753) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 656. Precipitation totals 16.8 inches a year, most in June (3.7") and least in January (0.3"); May to September bring 75% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 4 | 0.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 8 | 0.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 19 | 0.5 | 100% | 28 | 5 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 1.0 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| May | 69 | 43 | 2.7 | 81% | 4 | 232 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 468 |
| Jul | 84 | 59 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Aug | 84 | 56 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Sep | 73 | 47 | 1.6 | 46% | 1 | 320 |
| Oct | 57 | 34 | 1.2 | 100% | 13 | 70 |
| Nov | 40 | 21 | 0.6 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Dec | 27 | 9 | 0.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Minot International Airport, ND (1,665 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, Minot Exp Stn, ND, 7 miles south of Minot, has a last frost 3 days later (May 13), a first frost 4 days earlier (September 27), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Minot, North Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Minot usually arrives around October 30, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Minot International Airport, ND, 2.6 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 58703
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 1 – March 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 12 – April 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 58703 is 3 miles from Minot International Airport, ND, which stands at 1,665 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 58703 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.