Hardin, MT 59034 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Hardin, MT?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/13, roughly 258 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/29, about 135 frost-free days later.
Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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 Hardin, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Hardin 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
05/13 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/30 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Hardin compares
About 135 days separate Hardin's last and first frost, putting it 37,860 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MT, it ranks 99 of 392.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Hardin's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Hardin's dates instead of trusting one.