Dodson, MT 59527 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Dodson, MT, ZIP 59527
Around 05/18 is the usual last spring frost, about 263 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/23, about 126 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Dodson in Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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
Zone 4b around Dodson has about 4 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 05/18 isn't a guarantee
05/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/04 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dodson compares
Dodson's growing season runs about 126 days, ranking 38,731 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MT, it ranks 166 of 392.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 4b and Dodson's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Dodson's dates instead of trusting one.