Minnesota Frost Dates: Last and First Frost by Town

182 NOAA weather stations · 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals · Data updated 2026-10-29

Quick answer

Across Minnesota's 179 NOAA stations with regular frost, the median last spring frost is May 5 and the median first fall frost is October 2. Last frost dates range from April 15 at La Crescent Dam 7 to June 5 at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, so enter your ZIP code below for the station nearest you.

How frost dates vary across Minnesota

North vs south: stations in the northern third of the state (north of 46.8°N) reach their median last frost about 16 days later than the southern third (south of 45.0°N).
Safety margin: the median 10%-risk date (May 20) is about 15 days after the median last frost. Waiting until then cuts the chance of a killing frost on tender transplants from 1 in 2 to 1 in 10.

Frost dates at Minnesota's major weather stations

These National Weather Service stations, mostly at airports, have the longest and most complete records in the state.


Alexandria Municipal Airport	1,416	May 2	May 15	Oct 8	159
Baudette Intl Airport	1,082	May 15	May 31	Sep 26	132
Brainerd Crow Wing County Airport	1,221	May 13	May 27	Sep 27	138
Duluth	1,428	May 13	May 29	Oct 1	140
Goodridge 12 NNW	1,150	May 20	Jun 3	Sep 17	118
Grand Marais	610	May 22	Jun 18	Oct 9	136
Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport	1,352	Jun 5	Jun 25	Sep 8	93
Intl Falls Intl Airport	1,183	May 29	Jun 16	Sep 13	109
Minneapolis/st Paul Airport	872	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 18	176
Mpls Crystal Airport	861	Apr 30	May 17	Oct 8	159
Mpls Flying Cloud Airport	907	Apr 23	May 6	Oct 14	172
Park Rapids Municipal Airport	1,434	May 14	May 27	Sep 25	133
Redwood Falls Municipal Airport	1,021	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 4	157
Rochester Intl Airport	1,304	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 6	159
Sandstone 6 W	1,130	May 13	May 28	Sep 29	137
St Cloud Regional Airport	1,018	May 7	May 23	Sep 30	144
St Paul Downtown Airport	700	Apr 24	May 10	Oct 16	174

All 182 stations in Minnesota

Last frost and first frost are medians: a 50% chance of a 32°F night after (spring) or before (fall) that date. 10% risk is the spring date with only a 1-in-10 chance of a later frost. Click a column to sort.

Filter by station name


Ada	907	May 11	May 25	Sep 27	137
Agassiz Refuge	1,142	May 6	May 20	Oct 3	148
Aitkin 2E	1,215	May 16	Jun 1	Sep 28	133
Albert Lea 3SE	1,230	Apr 27	May 10	Oct 9	164
Alexandria Municipal Airport	1,416	May 2	May 15	Oct 8	159
Amboy	1,030	Apr 30	May 12	Oct 7	161
Andover 1N	899	May 5	May 21	Oct 2	148
Argyle	847	May 15	May 28	Sep 26	134
Artichoke Lake 1 E	1,098	May 1	May 14	Oct 8	159
Austin Waste Wtp Facility	1,199	Apr 30	May 11	Oct 5	158
Babbitt	1,481	May 28	Jun 16	Sep 14	108
Baudette	1,094	May 14	May 28	Sep 26	135
Baudette Intl Airport	1,082	May 15	May 31	Sep 26	132
Benson	1,030	May 4	May 17	Oct 3	151
Big Falls	1,220	May 24	Jun 6	Sep 20	117
Blackduck	1,340	May 24	Jun 6	Sep 17	115
Brainerd	1,180	May 8	May 21	Sep 29	141
Brainerd Crow Wing County Airport	1,221	May 13	May 27	Sep 27	138
Breckenridge 3E	971	May 4	May 17	Oct 3	152
Brimson 2S	1,486	Any month	Any month	Any month	84
Browns Valley	978	May 9	May 22	Sep 28	141
Brownton Wwtp	1,040	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 4	156
Bruno 7ENE	1,253	May 18	Jun 1	Sep 26	129
Buffalo 2NE	992	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 9	163
Byron 4NORTH	1,041	May 12	May 25	Sep 28	139
Caledonia	1,166	Apr 29	May 11	Oct 10	165
Cambridge	965	May 2	May 20	Oct 4	153
Camp Norris Dnr	1,289	May 25	Jun 6	Sep 22	119
Canby	1,210	May 2	May 14	Oct 5	156
Cass Lake	1,296	May 17	May 30	Sep 26	131
Cedar	907	May 1	May 17	Oct 7	158
Celina 2E	1,285	Jun 1	Jun 18	Sep 15	104
Chanhassen Wsfo	946	Apr 30	May 15	Oct 9	160
Chaska 2NW	923	May 5	May 19	Oct 5	151
Cloquet	1,265	May 26	Jun 9	Sep 23	118
Collegeville St John's	1,210	May 3	May 17	Oct 7	155
Cook 8NE	1,355	May 12	May 29	Oct 1	138
Cotton	1,323	May 27	Jun 11	Sep 20	115
Crookston NW Experiment Station	891	May 11	May 25	Sep 27	138
Dassel 3SE	1,065	Apr 30	May 12	Oct 10	162
Deep Portage	1,471	May 5	May 19	Oct 5	150
Delano	975	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 8	159
Detroit Lakes 1 NNE	1,355	May 15	May 30	Sep 24	130
Detroit Lakes 12E	1,542	May 4	May 16	Oct 3	150
Duluth	1,428	May 13	May 29	Oct 1	140
Duluth Harbor Station	610	May 14	Jun 1	Oct 12	149
Duluth NWS	1,433	May 18	Jun 3	Oct 1	135
Elk River	880	May 4	May 18	Oct 5	154
Ely	1,382	May 24	Jun 4	Sep 23	121
Ely	1,475	May 14	May 30	Sep 29	135
Ely 25E	1,444	May 21	Jun 3	Sep 25	127
Embarrass	1,425	Any month	Any month	Any month	83
Eveleth Wwtp	1,445	May 12	May 28	Oct 1	141
Fairmont	1,187	Apr 25	May 6	Oct 14	171
Faribault	970	May 5	May 19	Oct 5	152
Farmington 3 NW	980	Apr 27	May 10	Oct 10	166
Fergus Falls	1,250	May 4	May 18	Oct 5	152
Floodwood 3 NE	1,260	May 29	Jun 13	Sep 18	111
Forest Lake 5NE	905	May 3	May 19	Oct 5	154
Fosston 1 E	1,300	May 15	May 30	Sep 26	132
Gaylord	1,020	Apr 24	May 8	Oct 15	170
Georgetown 1 E	885	May 9	May 23	Oct 1	143
Glenwood 2WNW	1,198	May 11	May 27	Sep 27	139
Goodridge 12 NNW	1,150	May 20	Jun 3	Sep 17	118
Grand Marais	612	May 20	Jun 6	Oct 5	137
Grand Marais	610	May 22	Jun 18	Oct 9	136
Grand Meadow	1,350	May 6	May 18	Oct 1	146
Grand Portage	730	May 24	Jun 5	Sep 29	127
Grand Rpds Forest Lab	1,310	May 17	May 31	Sep 24	130
Granite Falls	930	May 4	May 18	Oct 1	150
Gull Lake Dam	1,215	May 2	May 14	Oct 6	156
Gunflint Lake 10 NW	1,455	May 23	Jun 7	Sep 26	124
Hallock	815	May 8	May 24	Sep 30	142
Hastings Dam 2	680	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 19	177
Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport	1,352	Jun 5	Jun 25	Sep 8	93
Hinckley	1,035	May 16	May 30	Sep 24	130
Hutchinson 1 N	1,095	Apr 28	May 10	Oct 8	163
Intl Falls Intl Airport	1,183	May 29	Jun 16	Sep 13	109
Isabella 14W	1,740	May 31	Jun 21	Sep 15	104
Island Lake 4E	1,410	May 21	Jun 3	Sep 27	129
Isle 12N	1,285	May 10	May 28	Oct 3	144
Itasca University Of Minn	1,490	May 18	May 31	Sep 27	130
Jordan 1SSW	900	May 2	May 18	Oct 5	153
Kabetogama	1,200	May 28	Jun 12	Sep 16	111
Kimball 3N	1,160	May 2	May 15	Oct 5	156
La Crescent Dam 7	647	Apr 15	May 1	Oct 28	194
Lake Wilson	1,653	May 7	May 19	Sep 29	145
Lakefield 2NE	1,530	May 2	May 13	Oct 2	153
Lamberton SW Rsch & Outreach C	1,140	May 3	May 15	Oct 2	152
Leech Lake	1,302	May 8	May 23	Oct 1	144
Litchfield	1,120	May 6	May 22	Oct 2	147
Little Falls 2NNE	1,120	May 4	May 22	Oct 5	151
Littlefork 10 SW	1,200	May 23	Jun 5	Sep 21	118
Long Prairie	1,340	May 13	May 28	Sep 27	134
Lower St Anthony Falls	754	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 16	175
Lutsen 3NNE	1,300	May 26	Jun 6	Sep 27	126
Mabel	1,112	May 10	May 23	Sep 28	140
Madison Wwtp	1,075	May 3	May 15	Oct 2	151
Mahnomen	1,212	May 7	May 24	Sep 28	143
Mankato	850	Apr 30	May 12	Oct 9	161
Marcell 5NE	1,387	May 14	May 30	Oct 2	140
Marshall	1,149	May 5	May 18	Oct 3	150
Melrose	1,195	May 4	May 19	Oct 1	148
Milaca	1,064	May 8	May 26	Oct 1	143
Milan 1NW	1,020	May 3	May 17	Oct 2	151
Minneapolis/st Paul Airport	872	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 18	176
Minnesota City Dam 5	670	Apr 23	May 6	Oct 16	175
Montevideo 1SW	990	May 4	May 17	Oct 1	149
Moorhead	904	May 5	May 20	Oct 3	150
Moose Lake 1 SSE	1,110	May 12	May 26	Oct 2	144
Mora	1,018	May 9	May 26	Sep 30	142
Morris W Central Rsch & Outreach	1,140	May 4	May 17	Oct 1	150
Mpls Crystal Airport	861	Apr 30	May 17	Oct 8	159
Mpls Flying Cloud Airport	907	Apr 23	May 6	Oct 14	172
New Hope	910	Apr 29	May 12	Oct 12	163
New London	1,250	May 4	May 19	Oct 4	152
New Ulm 2 SE	890	Apr 29	May 12	Oct 7	161
New Ulm 3SE	925	May 2	May 14	Oct 7	157
New York Mills	1,406	May 10	May 24	Sep 29	141
Northome 3S	1,415	May 16	May 30	Sep 26	131
Olivia 3E	1,100	May 6	May 20	Oct 1	146
Orr 3E	1,315	Jun 2	Jun 17	Sep 15	102
Ottertail	1,349	May 5	May 18	Oct 5	153
Owatonna	1,140	May 5	May 20	Oct 6	154
Park Rapids Municipal Airport	1,434	May 14	May 27	Sep 25	133
Pine River Dam	1,250	May 6	May 19	Oct 7	152
Pipestone	1,705	May 4	May 19	Oct 2	152
Pokegama Dam	1,280	May 16	May 31	Oct 1	138
Preston	930	May 14	May 27	Sep 28	136
Red Lake Falls	1,038	May 9	May 24	Sep 30	142
Red Lake Indian Agcy	1,216	May 12	May 30	Oct 4	142
Red Wing Dam 3	677	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 14	173
Redwood Falls	1,020	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 10	162
Redwood Falls Municipal Airport	1,021	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 4	157
Rice	1,060	May 10	May 22	Sep 29	140
Rochester Intl Airport	1,304	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 6	159
Rosemount Rsch & Outreach Center	945	May 2	May 16	Oct 5	155
Rothsay	1,204	May 5	May 20	Oct 3	149
Rushford	770	May 8	May 22	Oct 3	147
Sandstone 6 W	1,130	May 13	May 28	Sep 29	137
Sandy Lake Dam Libby	1,234	May 7	May 21	Oct 3	148
Santiago 3 E	1,010	May 7	May 22	Sep 28	144
Sherburn 3WSW	1,320	Apr 28	May 9	Oct 8	162
Springfield 1 NW	1,066	May 4	May 15	Oct 1	150
St Cloud Regional Airport	1,018	May 7	May 23	Sep 30	144
St James Wwtp	1,070	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 7	160
St Paul	900	Apr 26	May 11	Oct 12	166
St Paul 3SW	925	Apr 25	May 9	Oct 12	169
St Paul Downtown Airport	700	Apr 24	May 10	Oct 16	174
St Peter	795	May 2	May 14	Oct 4	153
Stillwater 1 SE	710	Apr 22	May 6	Oct 19	178
Stillwater 2SW	898	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 11	163
Tamarac Wildlife Re	1,508	May 5	May 18	Oct 3	150
Theilman 1SSW	753	May 7	May 22	Oct 2	148
Thief River Falls 2	1,128	May 14	May 29	Sep 28	135
Thorhult	1,237	May 24	Jun 7	Sep 20	120
Tower 2S	1,430	Any month	Any month	Any month	89
Tracy	1,403	May 2	May 15	Oct 5	156
Two Harbors	625	May 12	May 30	Oct 6	145
Two Harbors 7NW	1,355	May 27	Jun 10	Sep 23	117
U Of Mn St Paul	970	Apr 28	May 14	Oct 8	162
Vadnais Lake	890	Apr 23	May 7	Oct 20	177
Wadena 3 S	1,372	May 10	May 25	Sep 30	141
Walker	1,430	May 4	May 20	Oct 7	155
Warren Wsd	855	May 5	May 22	Oct 2	147
Warroad	1,073	May 16	May 30	Sep 24	129
Waseca S Rsch & Outreach Center	1,153	May 2	May 14	Oct 4	155
Waskish 4NE	1,191	May 22	Jun 5	Sep 17	117
Wells	1,135	Apr 30	May 14	Oct 6	158
Wheaton	1,018	May 1	May 12	Oct 9	160
White Rock Dam	1,024	May 3	May 15	Oct 3	154
Wild River State Park	840	May 19	Jun 3	Sep 25	128
Willmar 5N	1,190	May 1	May 12	Oct 6	156
Willmar Wwtp	1,100	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 7	159
Windom	1,384	Apr 30	May 13	Oct 10	162
Winnebago	1,110	Apr 27	May 8	Oct 10	166
Winona	652	Apr 21	May 4	Oct 19	180
Winona Dam 5 A	663	Apr 23	May 6	Oct 21	180
Wolf Ridge Elc	1,400	May 15	May 31	Oct 1	137
Worthington 2 NNE	1,570	May 3	May 15	Oct 4	153
Wright 3 E	1,330	May 31	Jun 20	Sep 18	107
Zumbrota	970	May 9	May 22	Sep 30	144

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Minnesota?

The median last spring frost (32°F) across Minnesota's NOAA weather stations is May 5, based on 1991–2020 climate normals. It ranges from April 15 at La Crescent Dam 7 to June 5 at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport. For a safer planting date, use the 10%-risk date; the state median for that is May 20.

When is the first frost in Minnesota?

The median first fall frost across Minnesota's stations is October 2. The earliest median first frost is September 8 at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport, and the latest is October 28 at La Crescent Dam 7.

How long is the growing season in Minnesota?

The median frost-free season is 148 days across Minnesota's stations, from 93 days at Hibbing Chisholm Hibbing Airport to 194 days at La Crescent Dam 7.

When should I plant tomatoes in Minnesota?

Plant tomatoes outdoors after your local last frost, ideally after the 10%-risk date when nights stay above 50°F. At a typical Minnesota station that means starting seeds indoors 6–8 weeks before May 5 and transplanting from about May 20. Check your ZIP code, because dates vary by weeks across the state.

Can it frost in summer in Minnesota?

Yes, at 3 stations in Minnesota a 32°F night is possible in any month, mostly at high elevation or far north. There is no reliable frost-free season there; use cold-hardy crops and row covers.

How to use these dates

Frost dates are 30-year averages from NOAA, not forecasts. Use them to plan seed starting and planting, then watch the 10-day forecast as the date approaches. Cold air settles in valleys and low spots, so a garden at the bottom of a slope can frost a week or more later in spring than the nearest station shows.

Ready to plan? The planting calendar by ZIP code turns these dates into start-indoors, transplant and sowing dates for 30 crops.

Sources and method

Dates are the 32°F freeze probabilities published in the NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals for each station. Station names are NOAA's, lightly expanded for readability. See the methodology or download the full table.