Cordova, AK 99574 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Cordova, AK?
Around 05/23 is the usual last spring frost, about 268 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/19, about 118 frost-free days later.
Cordova sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 3 weeks of growing season left in Cordova 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
05/23 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Cordova compares
Cordova's growing season runs about 118 days, ranking 39,206 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AK, it ranks 138 of 269.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Cordova's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Cordova's dates instead of trusting one.