Dell Rapids, SD 57022 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Dell Rapids, SD, ZIP 57022
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/01, roughly 246 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 155 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 Dell Rapids, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 4b around Dell Rapids has about 5 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/16 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 Dell Rapids compares
Dell Rapids's growing season runs about 155 days, ranking 33,971 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SD, it ranks 99 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Dell Rapids can differ from the 57022 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 4b and Dell Rapids's frost date answer different questions.