Shishmaref, AK 99772 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Shishmaref, AK?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 06/10, roughly 286 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/11, about 92 frost-free days later.
Zone 3a (-40 to -35°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 Shishmaref, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 2 weeks of growing season left in Shishmaref before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Shishmaref's last frost
06/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/23 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Shishmaref compares
Shishmaref's growing season runs about 92 days, ranking 39,889 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AK, it ranks 217 of 269.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Shishmaref can differ from the 99772 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 3a and Shishmaref's frost date answer different questions.