Bradley, SD 57217 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bradley, SD?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/07, roughly 252 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 149 frost-free days later.
Bradley sits in USDA Zone 4b (-25 to -20°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Bradley 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
05/07 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/23 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/22 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bradley compares
About 149 days separate Bradley's last and first frost, putting it 35,606 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within SD, it ranks 192 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bradley can differ from the 57217 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Bradley's frost date answer different questions.