Utica, SD 57067 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Utica, SD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/27, about 242 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/11, about 164 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Utica 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 Utica 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
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/10 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Utica compares
Utica's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 31,261 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SD, it ranks 21 of 378.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Utica's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Utica's dates instead of trusting one.