When to plant in Turner Valley, AB

Planting dates worked out from Turner Valley's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Safe to plant out

Jun 17

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Jun 7

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Aug 31

1 year in 10 by Aug 11

Frost-free days

median, 1991–2020

Station used: High River · 22.1 km away · station 1219 m, town 1216 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Apr 22 – May 6	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Aug 11
Sweet pepper Season likely too short	Apr 8 – Apr 22	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Aug 16
Lettuce (leaf)	Apr 5 – Apr 12	May 10 – May 24	Jun 19
Peas	—	Apr 29 – May 27	Jun 23
Bush beans	—	Jun 10 – Jul 1	Jul 30
Carrot	—	May 17 – Jun 28	Jul 16
Beet	—	May 14 – Jun 25	Jul 3
Potato	—	May 17 – Jun 7	Jul 26
Kale	Mar 29 – Apr 12	May 10 – May 24	Jun 22
Broccoli	Mar 29 – Apr 12	May 10 – May 31	Jul 9
Cucumber	May 20 – May 27	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Aug 6
Summer squash and zucchini	May 20 – May 27	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Aug 1
Winter squash Season likely too short	May 20 – May 27	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Sep 5
Sweet corn	—	Jun 10 – Jul 1	Aug 9
Onion (from sets)	—	May 10 – May 31	Aug 8
Garlic	—	Aug 17 – Sep 14 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 29 – May 27	Jun 6
Basil Season likely too short	May 6 – May 20	Jun 17 – Jul 1	Aug 13

Plan all 65 crops for Turner Valley

Turner Valley'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
1904	Jun 4
1907	Jun 4
1908	May 29
1909	May 19
1910	Jun 3
1911	May 28
1913	Jun 15
1920	Jun 25
1921	Jun 15
1922	Jul 9
1923	May 27
1924	Jul 11
1925	May 31
1926	Jun 15
1927	Jun 30
1928	Jun 20
1929	Jun 21
1930	Jun 28
1931	Jun 20
1932	May 27
1933	Jun 11
1934	Jun 22
1936	Jun 28
1937	May 31
1938	Jun 7
1939	Jun 18
1940	Jun 4
1942	Jun 22
1943	Jul 12
1944	May 25
1945	Jun 13
1946	Jun 16
1947	Jun 5
1948	May 25
1949	Jun 27
1950	Jun 9
1951	Jun 29
1952	Jul 6
1953	May 29
1954	Jun 18
1955	Jun 20
1956	May 10
1957	Jun 17
1958	Jun 13
1959	Jun 8
1960	Jun 18
1961	May 28
1962	Jun 6
1963	Jun 22
1964	Jun 2
1965	Jun 22
1966	Jun 13
1967	Jun 23
1969	Jun 14
1970	May 21
1971	Jul 6
1972	Jul 3
1973	Jun 11
1974	Jun 5
1975	Jun 1
1976	Jun 25
1977	Jun 11
1978	Jun 1
1979	Jun 16
1980	May 16
1981	Jun 18
1982	Jun 8
1983	May 17
1984	Jun 10
1985	Jun 24
1986	May 23
1987	Jun 3
1988	May 24
1989	Jun 20
1990	Jun 15
1991	Jun 4
1992	Jun 6
1993	Jun 5
1994	Jun 18
1995	Jun 9
1996	Jun 12
1997	May 22
1998	Jun 8
1999	Jun 8
2000	Jun 12
2001	May 21
2002	Jun 7
2003	Jun 7
2004	Jun 19
2005	Jun 16

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1907	62
1908	49
1909	78
1910	51
1911	101
1920	64
1921	32
1922	34
1923	65
1924	6
1925	87
1926	46
1927	62
1928	25
1929	29
1930	34
1931	43
1932	96
1933	37
1934	29
1936	71
1937	60
1938	107
1939	87
1940	73
1942	65
1943	3
1944	77
1945	67
1946	47
1947	92
1948	60
1949	47
1950	68
1951	52
1952	51
1953	110
1954	35
1955	68
1956	114
1957	40
1958	81
1959	65
1960	35
1961	100
1962	41
1963	87
1964	82
1965	71
1966	68
1967	81
1969	59
1970	89
1971	62
1972	59
1973	82
1974	69
1975	91
1976	74
1977	64
1978	106
1979	87
1980	101
1981	86
1982	67
1983	110
1984	80
1985	46
1986	105
1987	79
1988	106
1989	69
1990	89
1991	90
1992	76
1993	99
1994	70
1995	76
1996	85
1997	108
1998	104
1999	37
2000	88
2001	109
2002	56
2003	96
2004	78
2005	81

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1907	9.3 °C
1908	11.4 °C
1909	10.8 °C
1910	12.4 °C
1911	9.8 °C
1920	9.1 °C
1921	9.8 °C
1922	11.0 °C
1923	10.3 °C
1924	9.9 °C
1925	10.8 °C
1926	9.8 °C
1927	9.9 °C
1928	10.7 °C
1929	10.3 °C
1930	11.3 °C
1931	11.8 °C
1932	11.6 °C
1933	11.0 °C
1934	11.4 °C
1936	12.4 °C
1937	11.6 °C
1938	12.3 °C
1939	11.8 °C
1940	12.2 °C
1942	11.0 °C
1943	10.9 °C
1944	11.5 °C
1945	9.9 °C
1946	11.2 °C
1947	10.9 °C
1948	10.1 °C
1949	11.8 °C
1950	10.2 °C
1951	9.5 °C
1952	11.2 °C
1953	9.6 °C
1954	8.7 °C
1955	9.8 °C
1956	10.7 °C
1957	10.7 °C
1958	11.4 °C
1959	9.7 °C
1960	11.2 °C
1961	11.1 °C
1962	11.2 °C
1963	11.3 °C
1964	10.0 °C
1965	9.6 °C
1966	10.2 °C
1967	10.5 °C
1968	10.3 °C
1969	11.0 °C
1970	11.0 °C
1971	11.3 °C
1972	10.2 °C
1973	10.9 °C
1974	10.7 °C
1975	9.8 °C
1976	11.5 °C
1977	11.0 °C
1978	10.4 °C
1979	10.8 °C
1980	11.2 °C
1981	10.9 °C
1982	10.0 °C
1983	10.8 °C
1984	10.5 °C
1985	10.7 °C
1986	10.5 °C
1987	12.0 °C
1988	12.2 °C
1989	11.4 °C
1990	11.4 °C
1991	11.3 °C
1992	10.6 °C
1993	10.3 °C
1994	11.9 °C
1995	10.0 °C
1996	10.6 °C
1997	10.8 °C
1998	12.7 °C
1999	10.0 °C
2000	11.0 °C
2001	12.1 °C
2002	9.8 °C
2003	11.9 °C
2004	10.9 °C
2005	10.7 °C

What this means for you: Since 1904, Turner Valley's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from High River (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Black Diamond Okotoks Heritage Pointe High River Calgary Nanton