Elk River, ID 83827 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Elk River, ID?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/16, about 261 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/23, about 128 frost-free days later.
Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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 Elk River, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in Elk River 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
05/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/02 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 Elk River compares
Elk River's growing season runs about 128 days, ranking 38,582 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within ID, it ranks 186 of 320.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Elk River can differ from the 83827 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Elk River's frost date answer different questions.