Fairbanks, AK 99775 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fairbanks, AK?
Around 05/18 is the usual last spring frost, about 263 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/06, about 111 frost-free days later.
Fairbanks sits in USDA Zone 2b (-45 to -40°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 1 week of growing season left in Fairbanks before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/18 isn't a guarantee
05/18 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. 06/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fairbanks compares
Fairbanks's growing season runs about 111 days, ranking 39,450 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within AK, it ranks 151 of 269.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Fairbanks can differ from the 99775 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 2b and Fairbanks's frost date answer different questions.