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USDA Hardiness Zone 5a

Frost Dates for 99577 — Eagle River, Alaska

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK (567 ft), 1 miles northwest.

Updated

In Eagle River, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 26, as early as September 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 139 days (NOAA, Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK).

Last spring frost
May 9

50% probability

First fall frost
September 26

50% probability

Growing season
139 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5a

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

First snow
October 20

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 8

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

17 of 17 observed

Snow per year
70.5"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Eagle River

Half of springs at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 46% of the 37 Alaska stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 26 in half of years, as early as September 12 one year in ten, and holds off past October 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 139 days in a typical year, longer than at 57% of the 37 Alaska stations; it reaches 157 days one year in ten and falls short of 120 one year in ten. On average 191 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 15 days longer, to about May 24, and return around September 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 1 and April 1.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, 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 99577 →Compare Eagle River with another place →

Weather by month in Eagle River

July is the warmest month at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK, averaging 67°F by day and 50°F at night; January is the coldest at 20°F and 9°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 85% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 662 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 51% of the 37 Alaska stations. 30% of them (201) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 264. Precipitation totals 17.7 inches a year, most in August (2.8") and least in April (0.6"); May to September bring 54% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan2091.0100%300
Feb27131.1100%270
Mar33160.9100%290
Apr46290.6100%213
May58380.985%337
Jun64461.10%0161
Jul67502.10%0264
Aug63482.81%<1177
Sep54402.766%319
Oct40281.7100%181
Nov26161.6100%280
Dec22121.2100%300

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK (567 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, Fort Richardson Wtp, AK, 7 miles southwest of Eagle River, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.

Frost dates for 99505 (Jber) →

When it snows in Eagle River, Alaska

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eagle River usually arrives around October 20, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK, 1.1 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 31 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 99577

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Eagle River, Alaska
WhenWhat to do
February 28 – March 14Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 14 – March 28Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 11 – April 25Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 9 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 4Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 12Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 26 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 99577 is 1 mile from Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, AK, which stands at 567 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 99577 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 Alaska →

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 5a places in Alaska