St. Francis, SD 57566 Frost Dates
When can you plant in St. Francis, SD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/11, about 256 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 143 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 St. Francis, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in St. Francis 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
05/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How St. Francis compares
About 143 days separate St. Francis's last and first frost, putting it 36,599 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within SD, it ranks 270 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in St. Francis can differ from the 57566 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and St. Francis's frost date answer different questions.