Brandon, SD 57005 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Brandon, SD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/06, about 157 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Brandon 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 6 weeks of growing season left in Brandon 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
05/01 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. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Brandon compares
Brandon's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,279 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SD, it ranks 66 of 378.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Brandon's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Brandon can differ from the 57005 normal.