Elkton, SD 57026 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Elkton, SD?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/06, roughly 251 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 145 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Elkton 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 Elkton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Elkton's last frost
05/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Elkton compares
Elkton's growing season runs about 145 days, ranking 36,246 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SD, it ranks 235 of 378.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Elkton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Elkton can differ from the 57026 normal.