Clinton, MN 56225 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Clinton, MN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/02, roughly 247 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 153 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clinton in Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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 Clinton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/02 isn't a guarantee
05/02 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 Clinton compares
About 153 days separate Clinton's last and first frost, putting it 34,612 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MN, it ranks 426 of 943.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Clinton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Clinton's dates instead of trusting one.