Fairbanks, AK 99708 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fairbanks, AK?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/13, about 258 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/15, about 122 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fairbanks in Zone 2a (-50 to -45°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 3 weeks of growing season left in Fairbanks 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 05/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/31 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fairbanks compares
At roughly 122 frost-free days, Fairbanks places 38,929 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within AK, it ranks 100 of 269.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 2a and Fairbanks's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Fairbanks's dates instead of trusting one.