When to plant in Bonnyville, AB
Planting dates worked out from Bonnyville's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 31
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 19
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 16
1 year in 10 by Sep 5
Frost-free days
117
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Cold Lake A · 33.7 km away · station 541 m, town 555 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 5 – Apr 19 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 25 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 30 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 5 |
| Peas | — | Apr 26 – May 24 | Jun 20 |
| Bush beans | — | May 24 – Jun 14 | Jul 13 |
| Carrot | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | Jul 3 |
| Beet | — | May 4 – Jun 15 | Jun 23 |
| Potato | — | May 4 – May 25 | Jul 13 |
| Kale | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Broccoli | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Cucumber | May 3 – May 10 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 20 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 3 – May 10 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 15 |
| Winter squash | May 3 – May 10 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Aug 19 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 24 – Jun 14 | Jul 23 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 25 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 26 – May 24 | Jun 3 |
| Basil | Apr 19 – May 3 | May 31 – Jun 14 | Jul 27 |
Bonnyville'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 |
|---|---|
| 1953 | Jun 4 |
| 1954 | May 30 |
| 1955 | May 14 |
| 1956 | May 5 |
| 1957 | Jun 9 |
| 1958 | Jun 10 |
| 1959 | May 26 |
| 1960 | May 6 |
| 1961 | May 17 |
| 1962 | May 13 |
| 1963 | May 21 |
| 1964 | May 11 |
| 1965 | May 21 |
| 1966 | May 2 |
| 1967 | Jun 22 |
| 1968 | Jul 1 |
| 1969 | Jun 13 |
| 1970 | May 25 |
| 1971 | May 16 |
| 1972 | May 8 |
| 1973 | Jun 2 |
| 1974 | May 20 |
| 1975 | May 14 |
| 1976 | May 6 |
| 1977 | May 17 |
| 1978 | May 12 |
| 1979 | May 31 |
| 1980 | May 31 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | May 28 |
| 1983 | May 24 |
| 1984 | May 24 |
| 1985 | Jun 3 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | May 21 |
| 1988 | May 4 |
| 1989 | May 28 |
| 1990 | May 13 |
| 1991 | May 24 |
| 1992 | May 24 |
| 1994 | May 19 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 13 |
| 1997 | May 3 |
| 1998 | Jun 3 |
| 1999 | May 17 |
| 2000 | May 30 |
| 2001 | May 22 |
| 2002 | May 26 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 16 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | May 10 |
| 2008 | May 26 |
| 2009 | Jun 5 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Jun 4 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2013 | May 11 |
| 2014 | May 11 |
| 2015 | May 29 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2017 | May 18 |
| 2018 | May 11 |
| 2019 | May 14 |
| 2020 | May 16 |
| 2021 | May 22 |
| 2022 | May 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 29 |
| 2024 | May 5 |
| 2025 | Jun 24 |
| 2026 | May 17 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 108 |
| 1954 | 109 |
| 1955 | 117 |
| 1956 | 130 |
| 1957 | 99 |
| 1958 | 102 |
| 1959 | 105 |
| 1960 | 155 |
| 1961 | 108 |
| 1962 | 112 |
| 1963 | 121 |
| 1964 | 121 |
| 1965 | 104 |
| 1966 | 150 |
| 1967 | 92 |
| 1968 | 92 |
| 1969 | 94 |
| 1970 | 106 |
| 1971 | 123 |
| 1972 | 118 |
| 1973 | 103 |
| 1974 | 103 |
| 1975 | 128 |
| 1976 | 149 |
| 1977 | 96 |
| 1978 | 130 |
| 1979 | 124 |
| 1980 | 109 |
| 1981 | 114 |
| 1982 | 89 |
| 1983 | 110 |
| 1984 | 112 |
| 1985 | 92 |
| 1986 | 120 |
| 1987 | 109 |
| 1988 | 127 |
| 1989 | 105 |
| 1990 | 136 |
| 1991 | 103 |
| 1992 | 88 |
| 1994 | 141 |
| 1995 | 115 |
| 1996 | 116 |
| 1997 | 133 |
| 1998 | 108 |
| 1999 | 117 |
| 2000 | 112 |
| 2001 | 112 |
| 2002 | 119 |
| 2003 | 118 |
| 2004 | 119 |
| 2005 | 131 |
| 2006 | 150 |
| 2007 | 131 |
| 2008 | 96 |
| 2009 | 114 |
| 2010 | 128 |
| 2011 | 101 |
| 2012 | 149 |
| 2013 | 136 |
| 2014 | 121 |
| 2015 | 102 |
| 2016 | 113 |
| 2017 | 119 |
| 2018 | 116 |
| 2019 | 135 |
| 2020 | 114 |
| 2021 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 |
| 2023 | 128 |
| 2024 | 148 |
| 2025 | 72 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1953 | 11.4 °C |
| 1954 | 9.5 °C |
| 1955 | 11.7 °C |
| 1956 | 11.5 °C |
| 1957 | 11.6 °C |
| 1958 | 12.2 °C |
| 1959 | 11.2 °C |
| 1960 | 12.0 °C |
| 1961 | 12.1 °C |
| 1962 | 11.7 °C |
| 1963 | 12.9 °C |
| 1964 | 11.7 °C |
| 1965 | 11.0 °C |
| 1966 | 11.4 °C |
| 1967 | 11.6 °C |
| 1968 | 11.3 °C |
| 1969 | 12.0 °C |
| 1970 | 12.2 °C |
| 1971 | 12.4 °C |
| 1972 | 11.4 °C |
| 1973 | 12.0 °C |
| 1974 | 10.9 °C |
| 1975 | 11.2 °C |
| 1976 | 13.2 °C |
| 1977 | 11.9 °C |
| 1978 | 11.5 °C |
| 1979 | 11.2 °C |
| 1980 | 12.7 °C |
| 1981 | 13.0 °C |
| 1982 | 11.0 °C |
| 1983 | 11.9 °C |
| 1984 | 12.4 °C |
| 1985 | 11.4 °C |
| 1986 | 11.6 °C |
| 1987 | 12.8 °C |
| 1988 | 12.6 °C |
| 1989 | 12.4 °C |
| 1990 | 12.5 °C |
| 1991 | 13.3 °C |
| 1992 | 11.0 °C |
| 1994 | 12.9 °C |
| 1995 | 11.7 °C |
| 1996 | 11.3 °C |
| 1997 | 12.4 °C |
| 1998 | 14.3 °C |
| 1999 | 12.2 °C |
| 2000 | 11.5 °C |
| 2001 | 13.0 °C |
| 2002 | 11.2 °C |
| 2003 | 12.9 °C |
| 2004 | 11.2 °C |
| 2005 | 12.1 °C |
| 2006 | 14.0 °C |
| 2007 | 12.4 °C |
| 2008 | 12.1 °C |
| 2009 | 12.2 °C |
| 2010 | 12.4 °C |
| 2011 | 12.9 °C |
| 2012 | 13.3 °C |
| 2013 | 13.0 °C |
| 2014 | 12.5 °C |
| 2015 | 12.8 °C |
| 2016 | 13.7 °C |
| 2017 | 12.9 °C |
| 2018 | 11.8 °C |
| 2019 | 12.0 °C |
| 2020 | 11.9 °C |
| 2021 | 13.6 °C |
| 2022 | 12.9 °C |
| 2023 | 13.4 °C |
| 2024 | 13.0 °C |
| 2025 | 13.6 °C |
| 2026 | 12.2 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1953, Bonnyville's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Cold Lake A (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.