Frost dates for Minneapolis, Minnesota
In a typical year, Minneapolis’s last spring frost lands around Apr 23 and the first fall frost around Oct 16, a growing season of about 176 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 5a.
Right now the typical frost season has arrived; planting waits for spring.
| Odds | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 percent | Apr 10 | Oct 2 |
| 50 percent | Apr 23 | Oct 16 |
| 90 percent | May 7 | Oct 30 |
A 10 percent year is an early year, a 90 percent year a late one. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the 90 percent side of the last-frost band.
Soil in Minneapolis is typically around 47°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.
Plantable now in Minneapolis
- Garlic (Music)
Timing comes from the same temperature engine the app uses, run against Minneapolis’s normals for today.
Common questions
When is the last frost in Minneapolis, Minnesota?
Minneapolis’s last spring frost falls around April 23 in a typical year. One year in ten it is done by April 10, and one year in ten frost holds on until May 7. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the late side of that band.
When is the first fall frost in Minneapolis?
The first fall frost arrives around October 16 in a typical year, as early as October 2 in an early year and as late as October 30 in a late one.
How long is the growing season in Minneapolis?
About 176 days, counted between the typical last spring frost and the typical first fall frost.
What USDA zone is Minneapolis in?
Minneapolis is in USDA hardiness zone 5a under the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Dates come from 30-year NOAA climate normals for the nearest reporting station. They describe odds, not a forecast.
Nearby cities
- Saint Paul, MN (around Apr 25 to Oct 12)
- River Falls, WI (around May 11 to Oct 1)
- Saint Cloud, MN (around May 7 to Sep 30)
- Mankato, MN (around Apr 30 to Oct 9)
- Rochester, MN (around Apr 30 to Oct 6)
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