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USDA Hardiness Zone 5a

Frost Dates for 83455 — Victor, Idaho

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Driggs, ID (6,120 ft), 7 miles north.

Updated

In Victor, the last spring frost (32°F) is around June 13 in half of years and has passed by June 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 9, as early as August 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 86 days (NOAA, Driggs, ID).

Last spring frost
June 13

50% probability

First fall frost
September 9

50% probability

Growing season
86 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5a

-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night

First snow
November 2

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 11

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

22 of 22 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Victor

Half of springs at Driggs, ID see their last 32°F night by June 13; only one in ten is past it by May 27, and one in ten still has one after June 28. Planting tender crops after June 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 23 20%, and after June 28 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 78% of the 67 Idaho stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 9 in half of years, as early as August 26 one year in ten, and holds off past September 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around September 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 11, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 86 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 67 Idaho stations; it reaches 108 days one year in ten and falls short of 64 one year in ten. On average 204 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 26 and April 8.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Driggs, 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 83455 →Compare Victor with another place →

Weather by month in Victor

July is the warmest month at Driggs, ID, averaging 83°F by day and 48°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 9°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from September to May (a 90% chance or more). July is the only month with under a 10% chance of a 32°F night. In spring, June still brings one in 83% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 1,458 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 67 Idaho stations. 23% of them (335) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 471.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Driggs, ID
MonthHigh °FLow °F32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan339100%310
Feb3612100%270
Mar4420100%270
Apr5428100%2212
May6535100%1190
Jun734183%3233
Jul83486%0471
Aug824623%<1426
Sep733897%6195
Oct5829100%2030
Nov4419100%271
Dec3311100%300

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Driggs, ID (6,120 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, Tetonia Exp Stn, ID, 17 miles northwest of Victor, has a last frost 2 days later (June 15), a first frost 2 days earlier (September 7), a season 1 day shorter.

Frost dates for 83452 (Tetonia) →

When it snows in Victor, Idaho

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Victor usually arrives around November 2, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Driggs, ID, 6.8 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 63 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 83455

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Victor, Idaho
WhenWhat to do
April 4 – April 18Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
April 18 – May 2Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
May 16 – May 30Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
June 13 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by June 17Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by August 26Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 9 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 83455 is 7 miles from Driggs, ID, which stands at 6,120 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 83455 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 5a places in Idaho