When to plant in Viking, AB
Planting dates worked out from Viking's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 26
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 16
1 year in 10 by Sep 9
Frost-free days
120
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ranfurly 2nw · 35.8 km away · station 673 m, town 688 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 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 20 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 25 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 3 |
| Peas | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 8 |
| Carrot | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jul 1 |
| Beet | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jun 21 |
| Potato | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 11 |
| Kale | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 1 – May 15 | Jun 13 |
| Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 15 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 10 |
| Winter squash | Apr 28 – May 5 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Aug 14 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 18 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 1 |
| Basil | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 22 |
Viking'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 |
|---|---|
| 1988 | May 3 |
| 1989 | May 29 |
| 1990 | May 16 |
| 1991 | May 24 |
| 1992 | May 23 |
| 1993 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | May 21 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 6 |
| 1999 | May 17 |
| 2000 | May 31 |
| 2001 | May 21 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 21 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | Apr 30 |
| 2010 | May 30 |
| 2012 | May 20 |
| 2013 | May 8 |
| 2014 | May 11 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 137 |
| 1989 | 103 |
| 1990 | 124 |
| 1991 | 113 |
| 1992 | 89 |
| 1993 | 137 |
| 1994 | 122 |
| 1995 | 114 |
| 1996 | 133 |
| 1997 | 113 |
| 1998 | 142 |
| 1999 | 123 |
| 2000 | 102 |
| 2001 | 106 |
| 2002 | 120 |
| 2003 | 118 |
| 2004 | 110 |
| 2005 | 120 |
| 2006 | 135 |
| 2007 | 131 |
| 2010 | 108 |
| 2012 | 136 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 13.5 °C |
| 1989 | 12.6 °C |
| 1990 | 12.5 °C |
| 1991 | 13.6 °C |
| 1992 | 11.9 °C |
| 1993 | 11.9 °C |
| 1994 | 13.2 °C |
| 1995 | 12.3 °C |
| 1996 | 11.7 °C |
| 1997 | 12.5 °C |
| 1998 | 14.6 °C |
| 1999 | 11.7 °C |
| 2000 | 11.6 °C |
| 2001 | 12.7 °C |
| 2002 | 11.6 °C |
| 2003 | 12.4 °C |
| 2004 | 11.1 °C |
| 2005 | 11.3 °C |
| 2006 | 12.8 °C |
| 2007 | 12.7 °C |
| 2009 | 12.8 °C |
| 2010 | 12.0 °C |
| 2012 | 13.8 °C |
| 2013 | 12.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Ranfurly 2nw (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.