Fulton, SD 57340 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fulton, SD?
Around 04/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 245 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 159 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fulton 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 5 weeks of growing season left in Fulton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 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. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fulton compares
At roughly 159 frost-free days, Fulton places 32,808 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within SD, it ranks 44 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Fulton can differ from the 57340 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Fulton's frost date answer different questions.