USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 59201 — Wolf Point, Montana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wolf Pt, MT (2,090 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Wolf Point, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 28, as early as September 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 143 days (NOAA, Wolf Pt, MT).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- September 28
- Growing season
- 143 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 17
- Last snow
- February 21
- Winters with snow
- 69%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wolf Point
Half of springs at Wolf Pt, MT see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 20 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 68 Montana 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 15 one year in ten, and holds off past October 11 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, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 143 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 68 Montana stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 180 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 18, and return around September 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 4 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 21 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 28°F | Sep 21 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Sep 29 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 20°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 16°F | Oct 18 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wolf Pt, MT, 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 59201 →Compare Wolf Point with another place →
Weather by month in Wolf Point
July is the warmest month at Wolf Pt, MT, averaging 87°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 6°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,623 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 68 Montana stations. 30% of them (785) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 713. Precipitation totals 14.4 inches a year, most in June (3.5") and least in February (0.3"); May to September bring 74% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 6 | 0.4 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 10 | 0.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 22 | 0.5 | 100% | 27 | 9 |
| Apr | 60 | 33 | 0.9 | 100% | 16 | 64 |
| May | 70 | 44 | 2.1 | 77% | 4 | 242 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 469 |
| Jul | 87 | 59 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Aug | 86 | 58 | 1.8 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Sep | 76 | 47 | 1.4 | 59% | 2 | 349 |
| Oct | 60 | 35 | 0.9 | 100% | 15 | 88 |
| Nov | 43 | 22 | 0.4 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Dec | 29 | 10 | 0.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wolf Pt, MT (2,090 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, Wolf Point 29 ENE, MT, 29 miles northeast of Wolf Point, has a last frost 16 days later (May 24), a first frost 14 days earlier (September 14), a season 33 days shorter.
When it snows in Wolf Point, Montana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wolf Point usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around February 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wolf Pt, MT, 1.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 69% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 76 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 59201
| 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 59201 is 2 miles from Wolf Pt, MT, which stands at 2,090 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 59201 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.
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.