When to plant in Blackfalds, AB
Planting dates worked out from Blackfalds's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 7
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 16
1 year in 10 by Sep 5
Frost-free days
112
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lacombe Cda 2 · 7.6 km away · station 860 m, town 876 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 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 24 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 7 |
| Peas | — | Apr 28 – May 26 | Jun 22 |
| Bush beans | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 20 |
| Carrot | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jul 6 |
| Beet | — | May 7 – Jun 18 | Jun 26 |
| Potato | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 16 |
| Kale | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Broccoli | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Cucumber | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 22 |
| Winter squash | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 27 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 28 – May 26 | Jun 5 |
| Basil | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 3 |
Blackfalds'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 |
|---|---|
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 22 |
| 1998 | May 12 |
| 1999 | Jun 8 |
| 2000 | Jun 1 |
| 2001 | May 21 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2003 | Jun 7 |
| 2004 | May 25 |
| 2005 | May 28 |
| 2006 | May 10 |
| 2007 | May 25 |
| 2008 | May 26 |
| 2009 | Jun 9 |
| 2010 | Jun 1 |
| 2011 | May 29 |
| 2012 | May 26 |
| 2013 | May 26 |
| 2014 | Jun 6 |
| 2015 | May 18 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | May 16 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | May 21 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 22 |
| 2022 | Jun 1 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2025 | May 16 |
| 2026 | May 19 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 112 |
| 1996 | 116 |
| 1997 | 118 |
| 1998 | 136 |
| 1999 | 108 |
| 2000 | 94 |
| 2001 | 107 |
| 2002 | 102 |
| 2003 | 100 |
| 2004 | 103 |
| 2005 | 106 |
| 2006 | 129 |
| 2007 | 109 |
| 2008 | 97 |
| 2010 | 90 |
| 2011 | 111 |
| 2012 | 129 |
| 2013 | 115 |
| 2014 | 95 |
| 2015 | 121 |
| 2016 | 128 |
| 2017 | 121 |
| 2018 | 132 |
| 2019 | 128 |
| 2020 | 139 |
| 2021 | 116 |
| 2022 | 111 |
| 2023 | 123 |
| 2025 | 128 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1995 | 10.6 °C |
| 1996 | 10.6 °C |
| 1997 | 11.2 °C |
| 1998 | 13.4 °C |
| 1999 | 10.9 °C |
| 2000 | 10.8 °C |
| 2001 | 11.8 °C |
| 2002 | 10.3 °C |
| 2003 | 11.0 °C |
| 2004 | 10.8 °C |
| 2005 | 11.0 °C |
| 2006 | 12.8 °C |
| 2007 | 11.5 °C |
| 2008 | 11.0 °C |
| 2009 | 11.3 °C |
| 2010 | 10.6 °C |
| 2011 | 11.5 °C |
| 2012 | 12.4 °C |
| 2013 | 11.9 °C |
| 2014 | 11.5 °C |
| 2015 | 12.0 °C |
| 2016 | 12.4 °C |
| 2017 | 12.4 °C |
| 2018 | 11.0 °C |
| 2019 | 11.1 °C |
| 2020 | 11.2 °C |
| 2021 | 12.5 °C |
| 2022 | 12.3 °C |
| 2023 | 13.2 °C |
| 2025 | 13.3 °C |
| 2026 | 12.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1995, Blackfalds's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Lacombe Cda 2 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.