Palmer, AK 99645 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Palmer, AK?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/06, roughly 251 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/25, about 140 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Palmer 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 4 weeks of growing season left in Palmer before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Palmer's last frost
05/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Palmer compares
Palmer's growing season runs about 140 days, ranking 37,044 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AK, it ranks 67 of 269.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Palmer can differ from the 99645 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Palmer's frost date answer different questions.