Herrick, SD 57571 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Herrick, SD?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/03, about 248 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 159 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Herrick 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 Herrick 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
05/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Herrick compares
At roughly 159 frost-free days, Herrick places 32,811 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within SD, it ranks 46 of 378.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Herrick can differ from the 57571 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Herrick's frost date answer different questions.