Dayton, MN 55327 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Dayton, MN?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/04, about 249 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 154 frost-free days later.
Zone 4b (-25 to -20°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Dayton, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Dayton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/22 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dayton compares
Dayton's growing season runs about 154 days, ranking 34,248 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MN, it ranks 383 of 943.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Dayton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Dayton's dates instead of trusting one.