Frost dates Minnesota Saint Paul

Frost dates in Saint Paul, Minnesota

Last spring frost Apr 24 First fall frost Oct 16 NOAA 1991-2020

The average last spring frost in Saint Paul is Apr 24 and the average first fall frost is Oct 16, measured at ST PAUL DOWNTOWN AP, about 2 miles from the city centre. Below: how sure those dates are, and what to start, sow and set out each week.

Average last spring frostApr 2432°F, 50% probability
Average first fall frostOct 1632°F, 50% probability
Days between them175average frost-free season
How sure is that date? NOAA probability levels for a 32°F freeze
ProbabilityFreeze still comes after (spring)First freeze has come by (fall)
90%Apr 9Oct 29
50%Apr 24Oct 16
10%May 10Oct 2

Read it like this: in half of years the last 32°F freeze of spring comes after Apr 24, and in 1 year in 10 there is still a freeze after May 10. In 1 year in 10 the first fall freeze arrives before Oct 2.

Measured at: ST PAUL DOWNTOWN AP, MN (NOAA station USW00014927), about 2 miles away at 700 ft, 22 years of record in 1991-2020.

Other stations nearby, for comparison:

  • ST PAUL, MN (NOAA station USC00217377), about 3 miles away at 900 ft, 14 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 26, first fall frost Oct 12
  • ST PAUL 3SW, MN (NOAA station USC00217379), about 3 miles away at 925 ft, 11 years of record in 1991-2020: last spring frost Apr 25, first fall frost Oct 12

Seed-starting schedule for Saint Paul, MN

Counted from a last frost date of Apr 24 (the average: a freeze comes later than this in half of years).

  1. Week of Jan 1614 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLeekJan 16 to Jan 30
    • Start seeds indoorsOnionJan 16 to Jan 30
  2. Week of Jan 2313 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsParsleyJan 23 to Jan 30
  3. Week of Jan 3012 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCeleryJan 30 to Feb 13
    • Start seeds indoorsSpinachJan 30 to Feb 13
  4. Week of Feb 1310 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBroccoliFeb 13 to Feb 27
    • Start seeds indoorsBrussels sproutFeb 13 to Feb 27
    • Start seeds indoorsCabbageFeb 13 to Feb 27
    • Start seeds indoorsKaleFeb 13 to Feb 27
    • Start seeds indoorsKohlrabiFeb 13 to Feb 27
  5. Week of Feb 209 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsLettuceFeb 20 to Feb 27
  6. Week of Feb 278 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCauliflowerFeb 27 to Mar 13
    • Start seeds indoorsEggplantFeb 27 to Mar 13
    • Start seeds indoorsPepperFeb 27 to Mar 13
    • Start seeds indoorsSwiss chardFeb 27 to Mar 13
  7. Week of Mar 67 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsTomatoMar 6 to Mar 20
  8. Week of Mar 136 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsBasilMar 13 to Mar 27
    • Set transplants outSpinachMar 13 to Apr 3
  9. Week of Mar 274 weeks before last frost
    • Sow seed outdoorsRadishMar 27 to Apr 10
    • Sow seed outdoorsSwiss chardfrom Mar 27
    • Sow seed outdoorsTurnipMar 27 to Apr 10
    • Set transplants outBroccoliMar 27 to Apr 10
    • Set transplants outBrussels sproutMar 27 to Apr 10
    • Set transplants outCabbagefrom Mar 27
    • Set transplants outKalefrom Mar 27
    • Set transplants outKohlrabifrom Mar 27
    • Set transplants outLeekfrom Mar 27
    • Set transplants outLettuceMar 27 to Apr 3
    • Set transplants outOnionfrom Mar 27
  10. Week of Apr 33 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsCucumberApr 3 to Apr 10
    • Set transplants outParsleyApr 3 to Apr 10
  11. Week of Apr 102 weeks before last frost
    • Start seeds indoorsMelonApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Start seeds indoorsPumpkinApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Start seeds indoorsSummer squashApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Start seeds indoorsWinter squashApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Start seeds indoorsZucchiniApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Plant seed potatoes outdoorsPotatoApr 10 to Apr 17
    • Set transplants outCauliflowerfrom Apr 10
    • Set transplants outSwiss chardfrom Apr 10
  12. Week of Apr 24Last frost week
    • Sow seed outdoorsBeanfrom Apr 24
    • Sow seed outdoorsParsnipfrom Apr 24
    • Set transplants outCeleryfrom Apr 24
  13. Week of May 11 week after last frost
    • Plant slips outdoorsSweet potatoMay 1 to May 8
    • Set transplants outCucumberMay 1 to May 8
    • Set transplants outTomatoMay 1 to May 8
  14. Week of May 82 weeks after last frost
    • Set transplants outBasilfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outEggplantMay 8 to May 15
    • Set transplants outMelonfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outPepperfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outPumpkinfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outSummer squashfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outWinter squashfrom May 8
    • Set transplants outZucchinifrom May 8

Not in the city centre? Look up your own ZIP code

More in Minnesota

Where the numbers come from

Sources and method

Frost dates. U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Annual/Seasonal Climate Normals (1991-2020), NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Palecki, Durre, Applequist, Arguez and Lawrimore, 2021). These are 30-year station statistics for 1991 to 2020. "Frost" here means an air temperature of 32°F or lower at the station. We use 6,539 stations that have at least 10 years of record and a published date; 176 more are stations where a freeze is too rare for NOAA to date, and 180 are stations cold enough to have frost risk all year.

Probability level. The headline dates are NOAA's 50% level: in half of years the last spring freeze comes later than that date, and in half of years the first fall freeze comes earlier. The 10% and 90% levels are shown next to them. For tender plants, the 10% spring date is the safer one to plan from: a freeze follows it in only 1 year in 10.

Which station. Your ZIP code is matched to the nearest of those stations by straight-line distance from the ZIP code's centre point (GeoNames, geonames.org, CC BY 4.0; 40,979 ZIP codes in the 50 states and DC). Nearest is not always most alike: a station on a hill, in a valley or by the water can differ from your garden by a week or more. That is why the station's name, distance and elevation are shown with every result, along with two more stations nearby. NOAA makes the same point: the normals are limited between stations as distance grows horizontally and vertically.

Seed-starting offsets. Growing Vegetables: When to Plant Your Vegetable Garden, a fact sheet from University of New Hampshire Extension. It gives each crop's weeks from seed to transplant and when it is safe to set out or sow relative to the last frost. The method is theirs too: take the planting date and count back the seed-to-transplant weeks. Where the fact sheet gives a range of planting dates, the start-indoors dates count back from the earliest one. The figures used, as the fact sheet states them:

  • Basil: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Bean: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Broccoli: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Brussels sprout: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cabbage: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Cauliflower: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost.
  • Celery: Seed to transplant 10-12 weeks; set out after last frost.
  • Cucumber: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Eggplant: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks after last frost.
  • Kale: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Kohlrabi: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Leek: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Lettuce: Seed to transplant 4-5 weeks; set out 3-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Melon: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Onion: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsley: Seed to transplant 9-10 weeks; set out 2-3 weeks before last frost.
  • Parsnip: Plant seed in garden after last frost.
  • Pepper: Seed to transplant 8-10 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Potato: Plant seed potatoes in garden 1-2 weeks before last frost.
  • Pumpkin: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Radish: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Spinach: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 3-6 weeks before last frost.
  • Summer squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Sweet potato: Plant slips in garden 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Swiss chard: Seed to transplant 4-6 weeks; set out 2 weeks before last frost; or plant seed in garden 4 weeks before last frost.
  • Tomato: Seed to transplant 6-8 weeks; set out 1-2 weeks after last frost.
  • Turnip: Plant seed in garden 2-4 weeks before last frost.
  • Winter squash: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.
  • Zucchini: Seed to transplant 3-4 weeks; set out 2 weeks after last frost.

Not on the calendar. The same fact sheet times these by soil temperature, not by frost date, so they get no date here:

  • Pea: as soon as the soil thaws.
  • Beet: when the soil warms to 45°F.
  • Carrot: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Corn: when the soil warms to 60°F.
  • Cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini: direct-sow when the soil warms to 70°F.

Rutabaga is left out: the fact sheet gives it New Hampshire calendar dates, not a frost offset.

The fact sheet was written for New Hampshire. The offsets are relative to the last frost, so they carry to other places with a spring frost, but where winters are mild many cool-season crops are grown in fall and winter instead. Your state's extension service has the local calendar. Dates are 30-year statistics, not a forecast: check the forecast before setting tender plants out.

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