USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 83252 — Malad City, Idaho
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Malad City, ID (4,470 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Malad City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 22 in half of years and has passed by June 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 20, as early as September 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 116 days (NOAA, Malad City, ID).
- Last spring frost
- May 22
- First fall frost
- September 20
- Growing season
- 116 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 23
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 83%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Malad City
Half of springs at Malad City, ID see their last 32°F night by May 22; only one in ten is past it by May 6, and one in ten still has one after June 16. Planting tender crops after June 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 6 20%, and after June 16 10%. The 25 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 99% 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 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 21, 26 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 116 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 67 Idaho stations; it reaches 141 days one year in ten and falls short of 89 one year in ten. On average 185 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 9 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 28 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 | Jun 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 4 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 |
| 28°F | Sep 14 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 19 |
| 24°F | Sep 27 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 20°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Malad City, 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 83252 →Compare Malad City with another place →
Weather by month in Malad City
July is the warmest month at Malad City, ID, averaging 91°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,221 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 67 Idaho stations. 27% of them (597) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 649. Precipitation totals 13.0 inches a year, most in May (1.8") and least in July (0.6"); May to September bring 38% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 38 | 18 | 1.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 51 | 27 | 1.0 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Apr | 60 | 32 | 1.2 | 100% | 17 | 35 |
| May | 70 | 39 | 1.8 | 96% | 5 | 176 |
| Jun | 80 | 46 | 0.7 | 31% | 1 | 383 |
| Jul | 91 | 51 | 0.6 | 2% | 0 | 649 |
| Aug | 88 | 50 | 0.7 | 5% | <1 | 601 |
| Sep | 78 | 41 | 1.2 | 77% | 4 | 309 |
| Oct | 63 | 32 | 1.2 | 100% | 18 | 61 |
| Nov | 47 | 23 | 0.7 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Dec | 34 | 16 | 1.1 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Malad City, ID (4,470 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, Preston, ID, 24 miles east of Malad City and 249 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days earlier (May 16), a first frost 8 days later (September 28), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Malad City, Idaho
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Malad City usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Malad City, ID, 3.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 83% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 62 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 83252
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 13 – March 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 24 – May 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 20 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 83252 is 4 miles from Malad City, ID, which stands at 4,470 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 83252 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.
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.