USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 99507 — Anchorage, Alaska
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK (258 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Anchorage, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 28 in half of years and has passed by June 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 12, as early as August 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 107 days (NOAA, Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK).
- Last spring frost
- May 28
- First fall frost
- September 12
- Growing season
- 107 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 21
- Last snow
- April 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 76.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Anchorage
Half of springs at Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK see their last 32°F night by May 28; only one in ten is past it by May 17, and one in ten still has one after June 6. Planting tender crops after June 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 3 20%, and after June 6 10%. The 9 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 37 Alaska stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so the end of frost is fairly predictable.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 12 in half of years, as early as August 30 one year in ten, and holds off past September 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around September 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 28, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 107 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 37 Alaska stations; it reaches 124 days one year in ten and falls short of 89 one year in ten. On average 230 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 11 days longer, to about June 8, and return around September 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between October 21 and April 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 30 | Jun 2 | Jun 4 | Jun 6 | Jun 8 | Jun 11 | Jun 14 | Jun 17 | Jun 27 |
| 32°F | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 26 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 |
| 28°F | May 1 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 28 |
| 24°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 20°F | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 17 | Aug 23 | Aug 27 | Aug 30 | Sep 1 | Sep 2 | Sep 5 | Sep 8 | Sep 14 |
| 32°F | Aug 30 | Sep 3 | Sep 6 | Sep 9 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 |
| 28°F | Sep 9 | Sep 14 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 24°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 20°F | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 16°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK, 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 99507 →Compare Anchorage with another place →
Weather by month in Anchorage
July is the warmest month at Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK, averaging 69°F by day and 49°F at night; January is the coldest at 19°F and 3°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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 606 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 37 Alaska stations. 28% of them (168) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 265.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | 3 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 6 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 33 | 10 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Apr | 47 | 25 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| May | 59 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 17 |
| Jun | 66 | 43 | 32% | 1 | 151 |
| Jul | 69 | 49 | 0% | <1 | 265 |
| Aug | 64 | 46 | 12% | 1 | 156 |
| Sep | 55 | 37 | 98% | 10 | 15 |
| Oct | 41 | 25 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Nov | 26 | 10 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Dec | 22 | 7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK (258 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, Anchorage Merrill Field, AK, 4 miles north of Anchorage, has a last frost 27 days earlier (May 1), a first frost 17 days later (September 29), a season 43 days longer.
When it snows in Anchorage, Alaska
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Anchorage usually arrives around October 21, and the last of the season around April 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Anchorage Forecast Office, AK, 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 99507
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 19 – April 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 30 – May 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by August 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 12 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 99507 is 2 miles from Campbell Creek Sci Ctr, AK, which stands at 258 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 99504 (Anchorage). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 99507 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.
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.