When to plant in Grande Cache, AB
Planting dates worked out from Grande Cache's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jul 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Jul 4
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Jul 23
1 year in 10 by Jul 15
Frost-free days
12
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Willow Creek 1 · 75.9 km away · station 1370 m, town 1225 m. How we match towns to stations
The nearest reliable station is 76 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato Season likely too short |
May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Sep 6 |
| Sweet pepper Season likely too short |
May 4 – May 18 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Sep 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | May 2 – May 9 | Jun 6 – Jun 20 | Jul 16 |
| Peas | — | May 23 – Jun 20 | Jul 17 |
| Bush beans Season likely too short |
— | Jul 4 – Jul 25 | Aug 23 |
| Carrot | — | Jun 13 – Jul 25 | Aug 12 |
| Beet | — | Jun 6 – Jul 18 | Jul 26 |
| Potato | — | Jun 13 – Jul 4 | Aug 22 |
| Kale | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 6 – Jun 20 | Jul 19 |
| Broccoli | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 6 – Jun 27 | Aug 5 |
| Cucumber Season likely too short |
Jun 15 – Jun 22 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Sep 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini Season likely too short |
Jun 15 – Jun 22 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Aug 27 |
| Winter squash Season likely too short |
Jun 15 – Jun 22 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Oct 1 |
| Sweet corn Season likely too short |
— | Jul 4 – Jul 25 | Sep 2 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Jun 6 – Jun 27 | Sep 4 |
| Garlic | — | Jul 9 – Aug 6 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | May 23 – Jun 20 | Jun 30 |
| Basil Season likely too short |
Jun 1 – Jun 15 | Jul 13 – Jul 27 | Sep 8 |
Grande Cache'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 |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Jul 13 |
| 1998 | Jun 17 |
| 1999 | Jul 9 |
| 2000 | Jun 23 |
| 2001 | Jun 20 |
| 2003 | Jul 10 |
| 2004 | Jul 10 |
| 2006 | Jul 1 |
| 2007 | Jul 1 |
| 2008 | Jul 12 |
| 2009 | Jul 3 |
| 2011 | Jul 5 |
| 2015 | Jul 6 |
| 2016 | Jul 6 |
| 2018 | Jul 9 |
| 2020 | Jul 10 |
| 2021 | Jun 21 |
| 2022 | Jun 27 |
| 2023 | Jul 5 |
| 2026 | Jul 14 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 5 |
| 1999 | 6 |
| 2000 | 21 |
| 2001 | 39 |
| 2004 | 30 |
| 2006 | 14 |
| 2007 | 23 |
| 2008 | 2 |
| 2015 | 11 |
| 2018 | 5 |
| 2021 | 48 |
| 2022 | 20 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 6.8 °C |
| 1997 | 7.5 °C |
| 1998 | 9.5 °C |
| 1999 | 7.2 °C |
| 2000 | 6.8 °C |
| 2001 | 7.6 °C |
| 2002 | 7.0 °C |
| 2004 | 8.0 °C |
| 2005 | 7.5 °C |
| 2006 | 8.8 °C |
| 2007 | 7.8 °C |
| 2008 | 7.1 °C |
| 2009 | 7.7 °C |
| 2010 | 7.0 °C |
| 2011 | 7.1 °C |
| 2014 | 8.5 °C |
| 2015 | 8.1 °C |
| 2018 | 7.6 °C |
| 2019 | 7.7 °C |
| 2021 | 8.8 °C |
| 2022 | 8.0 °C |
| 2026 | 8.6 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Willow Creek 1 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.