Springfield, MN 56087 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Springfield, MN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/04, roughly 249 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 150 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Springfield in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Springfield 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 04/20 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Springfield compares
About 150 days separate Springfield's last and first frost, putting it 35,308 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MN, it ranks 519 of 943.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Springfield can differ from the 56087 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Springfield's frost date answer different questions.