Bridgewater, SD 57319 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bridgewater, SD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 156 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Bridgewater, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Bridgewater 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 04/17 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 Bridgewater compares
Bridgewater's growing season runs about 156 days, ranking 33,782 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SD, it ranks 86 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bridgewater can differ from the 57319 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Bridgewater's frost date answer different questions.