Alexandria, MN 56308 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Alexandria, MN?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/08, about 159 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 Alexandria, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Alexandria 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
05/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/18 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 Alexandria compares
Alexandria's growing season runs about 159 days, ranking 32,611 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MN, it ranks 248 of 943.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Alexandria can differ from the 56308 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Alexandria's frost date answer different questions.