North Dakota Frost Dates

North Dakota has 125 NOAA weather stations with freeze records in the 1991–2020 climate normals. The typical last spring frost ranges from May 2 at Hillsboro 3 N to May 24 at Hettinger Muni Ap; at half the stations it has come by May 13. The first fall frost typically arrives between September 17 at Fortuna 1 W and October 9 at Hillsboro 3 N, with a median of September 27.

The growing season between the typical frosts runs from 115 days at Hettinger Muni Ap to 158 days at Hillsboro 3 N; 136 days at the median station.

Every station in North Dakota

Typical dates have a 50% chance of a frost after them in spring, and before them in fall; safer dates, 10%. A garden can differ from its nearest station, especially in a valley or on a hillside: see why your garden may differ.

North Dakota: freeze (32 °F) dates by NOAA station, 1991–2020 normals
Station	Elevation	Last frost	Safer	First frost	Safer	Season (days)
Almont	1,915 ft	May 17	Jun 1	Sep 21	Sep 6	124
Amidon	2,910 ft	May 12	May 28	Sep 29	Sep 14	136
Ashley	2,014 ft	May 13	May 26	Sep 28	Sep 15	137
Beach	2,800 ft	May 16	May 30	Sep 26	Sep 10	130
Belcourt Keya Radio	1,960 ft	May 19	Jun 1	Sep 24	Sep 10	126
Beulah 1 W	1,785 ft	May 21	Jun 3	Sep 20	Sep 5	121
Bismarck 2.4 Nnw	1,831 ft	May 10	May 23	Sep 30	Sep 16	142
Bismarck Wfo	1,651 ft	May 14	May 27	Sep 30	Sep 18	138
Bismarck	1,658 ft	May 14	May 27	Sep 27	Sep 15	136
Bottineau	1,619 ft	May 15	May 28	Sep 25	Sep 13	133
Bowman	2,983 ft	May 16	May 29	Sep 25	Sep 11	132
Breien	1,720 ft	May 12	May 27	Sep 24	Sep 11	134
Butte 5se	1,720 ft	May 16	May 31	Sep 28	Sep 13	134
Carrington 4 N	1,560 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 27	Sep 17	137
Carrington	1,586 ft	May 10	May 23	Sep 28	Sep 17	139
Carson	2,335 ft	May 19	Jun 1	Sep 25	Sep 11	127
Casselton Agronomy Farm	935 ft	May 9	May 21	Oct 1	Sep 17	143
Cavalier 7nw	899 ft	May 12	May 27	Sep 30	Sep 17	139
Center 4se	1,990 ft	May 11	May 26	Sep 29	Sep 15	140
Colgate	1,180 ft	May 10	May 25	Sep 24	Sep 13	136
Cooperstown	1,380 ft	May 17	Jun 1	Sep 23	Sep 10	128
Crosby	1,959 ft	May 17	May 28	Sep 23	Sep 11	128
Devils Lake Kdlr	1,464 ft	May 6	May 19	Oct 5	Sep 26	152
Devils Lake	1,440 ft	May 12	May 24	Sep 30	Sep 19	141
Dickinson Rch Hq	2,380 ft	May 18	May 31	Sep 24	Sep 11	127
Dickinson	2,460 ft	May 20	Jun 1	Sep 22	Sep 8	123
Drake 9 Ne	1,547 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 27	Sep 16	137
Dunn Ctr 1e	2,187 ft	May 20	Jun 1	Sep 21	Sep 7	125
Edgeley 3wnw	1,623 ft	May 7	May 20	Oct 2	Sep 21	148
Edmore 4nw	1,539 ft	May 15	May 31	Sep 22	Sep 11	128
Edmunds Arrowwood Ref	1,460 ft	May 11	May 25	Sep 28	Sep 16	139
Ellendale	1,455 ft	May 4	May 17	Oct 2	Sep 21	149
Enderlin 2w	1,164 ft	May 3	May 16	Oct 5	Sep 23	155
Esmond 9 Nnw	1,632 ft	May 11	May 23	Sep 28	Sep 18	138
Fairfield	2,750 ft	May 12	May 27	Sep 28	Sep 13	138
Fargo 3s	908 ft	May 4	May 18	Oct 2	Sep 22	151
Fargo Hector Intl Ap	900 ft	May 10	May 23	Sep 30	Sep 18	143
Fessenden	1,620 ft	May 13	May 26	Sep 28	Sep 15	139
Flasher	1,980 ft	May 13	May 28	Sep 27	Sep 15	135
Forman 5 Sse	1,250 ft	May 7	May 20	Oct 1	Sep 18	146
Fortuna 1 W	2,350 ft	May 19	May 31	Sep 17	Sep 4	121
Foxholm 7 N	1,675 ft	May 11	May 29	Sep 29	Sep 13	138
Fullerton 1 Ese	1,435 ft	May 9	May 23	Sep 28	Sep 17	141
Gackle	1,951 ft	May 6	May 19	Oct 4	Sep 23	150
Garrison	1,932 ft	May 12	May 24	Sep 30	Sep 17	140
Garrison	1,910 ft	May 14	May 28	Sep 26	Sep 13	133
Grafton	827 ft	May 4	May 18	Oct 7	Sep 25	156
Grand Forks Intl Ap	842 ft	May 16	May 31	Sep 27	Sep 15	133
Grand Forks Univ (Nws)	830 ft	May 10	May 24	Oct 1	Sep 20	144
Granville	1,510 ft	May 9	May 22	Oct 1	Sep 19	145
Grassy Butte 2ene	2,670 ft	May 18	Jun 1	Sep 23	Sep 9	125
Hansboro 4 Nne	1,540 ft	May 18	May 31	Sep 23	Sep 11	127
Harvey 4ne	1,611 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 26	Sep 14	135
Hazelton 4nw	1,982 ft	May 12	May 27	Sep 27	Sep 15	136
Heart Butte Dam	2,134 ft	May 14	May 28	Sep 29	Sep 16	136
Hebron	2,160 ft	May 19	Jun 2	Sep 21	Sep 7	123
Hettinger Exp Stn	2,703 ft	May 21	Jun 5	Sep 21	Sep 5	120
Hettinger Muni Ap	2,705 ft	May 24	Jun 10	Sep 18	Sep 1	115
Hillsboro 3 N	910 ft	May 2	May 17	Oct 9	Sep 25	158
Jamestown 38 Wsw	1,920 ft	May 14	May 26	Sep 27	Sep 15	135
Jamestown Muni Ap	1,494 ft	May 11	May 24	Sep 28	Sep 15	138
Jamestown State Hosp	1,467 ft	May 8	May 21	Sep 29	Sep 17	143
Keene 3s	2,470 ft	May 20	Jun 2	Sep 20	Sep 5	121
Kenmare 1 Wsw	1,810 ft	May 15	May 28	Sep 23	Sep 10	129
Killdeer	2,310 ft	May 21	Jun 5	Sep 23	Sep 8	124
La Moure	1,334 ft	May 10	May 22	Sep 28	Sep 18	140
Lake Metigoshe Sp	2,142 ft	May 17	May 30	Sep 24	Sep 12	130
Langdon Exp Farm	1,615 ft	May 17	May 30	Sep 26	Sep 13	132
Larimore 4sw	1,152 ft	May 11	May 25	Sep 28	Sep 16	139
Leeds	1,530 ft	May 15	May 27	Sep 27	Sep 14	133
Lidgerwood	1,125 ft	May 2	May 15	Oct 6	Sep 25	157
Linton	1,690 ft	May 12	May 26	Sep 29	Sep 15	138
Lisbon	1,149 ft	May 12	May 23	Sep 27	Sep 14	136
Mandan Exp Stn	1,750 ft	May 13	May 26	Sep 27	Sep 15	136
Max	2,110 ft	May 10	May 25	Sep 28	Sep 15	141
Mayville	983 ft	May 13	May 25	Sep 27	Sep 14	136
Mc Clusky	1,927 ft	May 8	May 20	Oct 1	Sep 19	145
Mc Henry 3w	1,555 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 28	Sep 16	139
Mc Leod 3 E	1,075 ft	May 6	May 19	Sep 29	Sep 18	145
Medora 7 E	2,771 ft	May 9	May 21	Sep 30	Sep 15	142
Medora	2,268 ft	May 19	Jun 1	Sep 20	Sep 6	123
Minnewaukan	1,470 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 29	Sep 17	138
Minot Exp Stn	1,769 ft	May 13	May 26	Sep 27	Sep 14	136
Minot Intl Ap	1,665 ft	May 10	May 22	Oct 1	Sep 19	144
Moffit 3 Se	1,800 ft	May 11	May 27	Sep 29	Sep 15	139
Mohall	1,641 ft	May 17	May 30	Sep 23	Sep 11	127
Mott	2,426 ft	May 16	May 30	Sep 25	Sep 11	129
Napoleon	1,980 ft	May 13	May 26	Sep 28	Sep 15	136
New England	2,600 ft	May 16	May 29	Sep 24	Sep 10	128
New Salem 5nw	2,150 ft	May 18	Jun 1	Sep 24	Sep 12	127
Northgate 5 Ese	1,842 ft	May 20	Jun 2	Sep 19	Sep 7	121
Oakes	1,324 ft	May 8	May 21	Sep 28	Sep 16	144
Pembina	790 ft	May 16	May 31	Sep 29	Sep 17	137
Petersburg 2 N	1,532 ft	May 11	May 25	Sep 28	Sep 16	138
Powers Lake 1n	2,205 ft	May 18	Jun 1	Sep 17	Sep 4	119
Pretty Rock	2,480 ft	May 20	Jun 3	Sep 23	Sep 8	124
Richardton Abbey	2,470 ft	May 9	May 23	Oct 1	Sep 18	145
Riverdale	1,962 ft	May 12	May 27	Oct 3	Sep 20	143
Rolette 3se	1,620 ft	May 22	Jun 3	Sep 20	Sep 5	120
Rolla 1ne	1,833 ft	May 20	May 31	Sep 26	Sep 14	128
Rugby	1,550 ft	May 17	May 31	Sep 23	Sep 11	129
Stanley 3 Nnw	2,280 ft	May 17	May 29	Sep 23	Sep 12	127
Steele 4n	1,853 ft	May 15	May 28	Sep 25	Sep 12	133
Streeter 5 Nw	1,961 ft	May 13	May 27	Sep 30	Sep 16	139
Taylor 7 Nnw	2,220 ft	May 23	Jun 5	Sep 20	Sep 4	119
Theodore Roosevelt Ap	2,580 ft	May 18	May 31	Sep 25	Sep 12	129
Tioga 1e	2,245 ft	May 11	May 24	Sep 26	Sep 13	136
Towner 2 Ne	1,480 ft	May 17	Jun 1	Sep 22	Sep 10	126
Trotters 3 Sse	2,420 ft	May 15	May 29	Sep 25	Sep 13	132
Turtle Lake	1,893 ft	May 14	May 26	Sep 26	Sep 15	136
Tuttle 12nne	2,100 ft	May 13	May 28	Sep 29	Sep 17	139
Underwood	2,045 ft	May 10	May 25	Sep 29	Sep 17	139
Upham 3 N	1,425 ft	May 15	May 26	Sep 25	Sep 13	132
Valley City 3 Nnw	1,210 ft	May 13	May 25	Sep 26	Sep 14	136
Velva	1,510 ft	May 22	Jun 3	Sep 22	Sep 10	123
Washburn	1,755 ft	May 12	May 25	Sep 30	Sep 18	140
Watford City 14s	2,027 ft	May 22	Jun 7	Sep 17	Sep 5	119
Watford City	2,170 ft	May 9	May 22	Sep 27	Sep 15	139
Westhope	1,502 ft	May 14	May 26	Sep 25	Sep 13	133
Wildrose 3nw	2,227 ft	May 18	May 30	Sep 20	Sep 7	124
Williston Exp Farm	2,105 ft	May 13	May 25	Sep 26	Sep 14	135
Williston Sloulin Intl Ap	1,902 ft	May 21	Jun 3	Sep 21	Sep 9	123
Willow City	1,473 ft	May 21	Jun 1	Sep 20	Sep 5	119
Wilton	2,188 ft	May 11	May 25	Sep 30	Sep 17	142
Wishek	2,037 ft	May 13	May 28	Sep 27	Sep 15	135

Plan your garden with these dates

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Questions

When is the last frost in North Dakota?

It depends on where you are. The typical last spring frost at North Dakota's NOAA stations ranges from May 2 to May 24, and half of them have had it by May 13. Enter your ZIP code above for the station nearest you.

When is the first frost in North Dakota?

Typically between September 17 and October 9, depending on the station; the median is September 27. Plan fall crops back from your own station's date.

What do "typical" and "safer" mean?

With the typical (50%) last-frost date, half of years still have a frost after it. With the safer (10%) date, only one year in ten does. In fall it's the other way around: the safer date is the earlier one.

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)

North Dakota Frost Dates

Every station in North Dakota

Plan your garden with these dates

Questions

Other states

Sources