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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 83202 — Chubbuck, Idaho

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID (4,465 ft), 5 miles north.

Updated

In Chubbuck, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 20 in half of years and has passed by June 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 20, as early as September 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 119 days (NOAA, Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID).

Last spring frost
May 20

50% probability

First fall frost
September 20

50% probability

Growing season
119 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
November 9

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 13

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
28.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Chubbuck

Half of springs at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID see their last 32°F night by May 20; only one in ten is past it by May 6, and one in ten still has one after June 12. Planting tender crops after May 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 4 20%, and after June 12 10%. The 23 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 87% of the 67 Idaho stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 20 in half of years, as early as September 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 23, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 119 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 67 Idaho stations; it reaches 142 days one year in ten and falls short of 91 one year in ten. On average 186 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 21 days longer, to about June 10, and return around September 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 6 and March 19.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 23May 31Jun 4Jun 7Jun 10Jun 14Jun 17Jun 21Jun 27
32°FMay 6May 10May 13May 17May 20May 25May 31Jun 4Jun 12
28°FApr 23Apr 27May 1May 3May 6May 8May 11May 15May 23
24°FApr 8Apr 13Apr 17Apr 20Apr 24Apr 27Apr 30May 3May 7
20°FMar 17Mar 27Apr 1Apr 5Apr 9Apr 12Apr 16Apr 21Apr 26
16°FMar 1Mar 6Mar 10Mar 14Mar 19Mar 25Mar 30Apr 3Apr 12
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FAug 20Aug 29Sep 1Sep 4Sep 7Sep 11Sep 14Sep 18Sep 23
32°FSep 1Sep 7Sep 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 2Oct 7
28°FSep 15Sep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
24°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 10Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
20°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 14
16°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID, 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 83202 →Compare Chubbuck with another place →

Weather by month in Chubbuck

July is the warmest month at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID, averaging 86°F by day and 51°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 28% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 1,917 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 67 Idaho stations. 26% of them (489) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 573. Precipitation totals 10.5 inches a year, most in May (1.4") and least in July (0.4"); May to September bring 39% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan33150.9100%300
Feb38180.8100%260
Mar50261.0100%262
Apr58311.0100%1923
May67391.497%6146
Jun76451.028%1318
Jul86510.40%0573
Aug86490.58%<1540
Sep76410.874%4268
Oct60310.9100%1846
Nov45220.8100%271
Dec33151.0100%300

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID (4,465 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, Pocatello City, ID, 7 miles south of Chubbuck, has a last frost 18 days earlier (May 2), a first frost 21 days later (October 11), a season 42 days longer.

Frost dates for 83201 (Pocatello) →

When it snows in Chubbuck, Idaho

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Chubbuck usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID, 5.2 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 37 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 83202

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Chubbuck, Idaho
WhenWhat to do
March 11 – March 25Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 25 – April 8Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 22 – May 6Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 20 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by June 28Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 6Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 20 onwardPlant 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 83202 is 5 miles from Fort Hall 1 NNE, ID, which stands at 4,465 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 83202 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Idaho →

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.

Other zone 6a places in Idaho