USDA Hardiness Zone 3b
Frost Dates for 58852 — Tioga, North Dakota
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tioga 1E, ND (2,245 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Tioga, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 136 days (NOAA, Tioga 1E, ND).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 136 days
- Hardiness zone
- 3b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-35 to -30°F (-37.2 to -34.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 17
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tioga
Half of springs at Tioga 1E, ND see their last 32°F night by May 11; 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 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 24 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 26 in half of years, as early as September 13 one year in ten, and holds off past October 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 15, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 136 days in a typical year, shorter than at 52% of the 33 North Dakota stations; it reaches 154 days one year in ten and falls short of 118 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 10 days longer, to about May 21, and return around September 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 1 and April 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 16 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 24°F | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 16°F | Mar 20 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 6 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 |
| 32°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 28°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 |
| 24°F | Sep 28 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 20°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 16°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tioga 1E, 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 58852 →Compare Tioga with another place →
Weather by month in Tioga
July is the warmest month at Tioga 1E, ND, averaging 83°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 20°F and 2°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 89% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,256 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 33 North Dakota stations. 30% of them (680) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 631. Precipitation totals 15.5 inches a year, most in June (3.2") and least in February (0.4"); May to September bring 70% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 2 | 0.5 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 25 | 7 | 0.4 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 38 | 19 | 0.5 | 100% | 29 | 4 |
| Apr | 54 | 31 | 1.0 | 100% | 19 | 42 |
| May | 67 | 43 | 2.1 | 89% | 6 | 197 |
| Jun | 76 | 53 | 3.2 | 2% | <1 | 437 |
| Jul | 83 | 58 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Aug | 83 | 56 | 1.6 | 0% | <1 | 596 |
| Sep | 72 | 46 | 1.1 | 68% | 4 | 287 |
| Oct | 55 | 33 | 1.0 | 100% | 18 | 58 |
| Nov | 38 | 20 | 0.6 | 100% | 28 | 5 |
| Dec | 24 | 8 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tioga 1E, ND (2,245 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, Stanley 3 NNW, ND, 25 miles east of Tioga, has a last frost 6 days later (May 17), a first frost 3 days earlier (September 23), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Tioga, North Dakota
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tioga usually arrives around October 17, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Tioga 1E, ND, 1.5 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 58852
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 26 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 58852 is 2 miles from Tioga 1E, ND, which stands at 2,245 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 58852 in zone 3b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -35 to -30°F (-37.2 to -34.4°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.