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
- First fall frost
- September 26
- Growing season
- 139 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 20
- Last snow
- April 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 70.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
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.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 26 | May 28 | May 30 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 2 | Sep 6 | Sep 9 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 |
| 32°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 28°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 24°F | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 20°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 16°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 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.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 9 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 13 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 33 | 16 | 0.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Apr | 46 | 29 | 0.6 | 100% | 21 | 3 |
| May | 58 | 38 | 0.9 | 85% | 3 | 37 |
| Jun | 64 | 46 | 1.1 | 0% | 0 | 161 |
| Jul | 67 | 50 | 2.1 | 0% | 0 | 264 |
| Aug | 63 | 48 | 2.8 | 1% | <1 | 177 |
| Sep | 54 | 40 | 2.7 | 66% | 3 | 19 |
| Oct | 40 | 28 | 1.7 | 100% | 18 | 1 |
| Nov | 26 | 16 | 1.6 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Dec | 22 | 12 | 1.2 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
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.
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
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 26 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 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.
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.