When to plant in Ardrossan, AB
Planting dates worked out from Ardrossan's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 1
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 17
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 19
1 year in 10 by Sep 11
Frost-free days
126
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Elk Island Nat Park · 23.0 km away · station 716 m, town 707 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 26 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 31 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 21 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 4 |
| Peas | — | Apr 25 – May 23 | Jun 19 |
| Bush beans | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 14 |
| Carrot | — | May 3 – Jun 14 | Jul 2 |
| Beet | — | May 3 – Jun 14 | Jun 22 |
| Potato | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 12 |
| Kale | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 14 |
| Broccoli | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 24 |
| Cucumber | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 21 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 16 |
| Winter squash | May 4 – May 11 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Aug 20 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 25 – Jun 15 | Jul 24 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jul 24 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 5 – Oct 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 25 – May 23 | Jun 2 |
| Basil | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 28 |
Ardrossan's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1982 | May 29 |
| 1983 | May 24 |
| 1984 | May 11 |
| 1985 | May 13 |
| 1987 | May 21 |
| 1988 | May 4 |
| 1989 | May 23 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 14 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | Apr 26 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 30 |
| 2001 | May 10 |
| 2002 | May 12 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 10 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | Jun 7 |
| 2009 | Jun 2 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | May 29 |
| 2012 | May 20 |
| 2013 | May 4 |
| 2014 | May 13 |
| 2015 | May 17 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2017 | May 3 |
| 2018 | May 11 |
| 2019 | Jun 8 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 22 |
| 2022 | May 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | May 18 |
| 2025 | May 5 |
| 2026 | May 17 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 88 |
| 1984 | 133 |
| 1985 | 115 |
| 1987 | 118 |
| 1995 | 114 |
| 1996 | 129 |
| 1997 | 116 |
| 1999 | 136 |
| 2000 | 103 |
| 2002 | 132 |
| 2003 | 118 |
| 2004 | 127 |
| 2005 | 133 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 93 |
| 2009 | 110 |
| 2010 | 127 |
| 2011 | 122 |
| 2012 | 118 |
| 2013 | 136 |
| 2015 | 126 |
| 2016 | 136 |
| 2017 | 134 |
| 2018 | 123 |
| 2019 | 110 |
| 2020 | 125 |
| 2021 | 124 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 156 |
| 2024 | 145 |
| 2025 | 151 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 10.8 °C |
| 1984 | 11.8 °C |
| 1986 | 11.3 °C |
| 1987 | 12.7 °C |
| 1995 | 12.7 °C |
| 1996 | 12.0 °C |
| 1997 | 12.9 °C |
| 1998 | 15.0 °C |
| 1999 | 11.9 °C |
| 2000 | 11.2 °C |
| 2002 | 10.5 °C |
| 2003 | 11.7 °C |
| 2004 | 11.2 °C |
| 2005 | 11.7 °C |
| 2006 | 13.4 °C |
| 2007 | 12.1 °C |
| 2008 | 12.8 °C |
| 2009 | 12.1 °C |
| 2010 | 11.5 °C |
| 2011 | 12.1 °C |
| 2012 | 12.7 °C |
| 2013 | 12.8 °C |
| 2014 | 12.3 °C |
| 2015 | 12.6 °C |
| 2016 | 13.5 °C |
| 2017 | 12.8 °C |
| 2018 | 11.8 °C |
| 2019 | 11.5 °C |
| 2020 | 11.4 °C |
| 2021 | 13.3 °C |
| 2022 | 12.6 °C |
| 2023 | 13.7 °C |
| 2024 | 13.1 °C |
| 2025 | 13.8 °C |
| 2026 | 12.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1982, Ardrossan's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Elk Island Nat Park (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.