When to plant in Wainwright, AB
Planting dates worked out from Wainwright's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 28
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 22
1 year in 10 by Sep 13
Frost-free days
126
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Wainwright Cfb Airfield 21 · 16.3 km away · station 686 m, town 680 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 2 – Apr 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 27 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 19 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 2 |
| Peas | — | Apr 23 – May 21 | Jun 17 |
| Bush beans | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 10 |
| Carrot | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jul 1 |
| Beet | — | May 2 – Jun 13 | Jun 21 |
| Potato | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 11 |
| Kale | Mar 19 – Apr 2 | Apr 30 – May 14 | Jun 12 |
| Broccoli | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jun 22 |
| Cucumber | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 17 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 12 |
| Winter squash | Apr 30 – May 7 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Aug 16 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 21 – Jun 11 | Jul 20 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 8 – Oct 6 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 23 – May 21 | May 31 |
| Basil | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 28 – Jun 11 | Jul 24 |
Wainwright'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 | May 12 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 11 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 31 |
| 2001 | May 11 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 22 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 4 |
| 2007 | May 15 |
| 2008 | May 10 |
| 2009 | Jun 9 |
| 2010 | May 24 |
| 2011 | May 29 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2014 | May 11 |
| 2015 | May 18 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2017 | May 16 |
| 2018 | May 2 |
| 2019 | May 18 |
| 2021 | May 22 |
| 2022 | May 21 |
| 2023 | Apr 29 |
| 2024 | May 4 |
| 2025 | Apr 28 |
| 2026 | May 16 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 120 |
| 1997 | 113 |
| 1998 | 140 |
| 1999 | 136 |
| 2000 | 112 |
| 2001 | 143 |
| 2002 | 122 |
| 2003 | 122 |
| 2004 | 130 |
| 2005 | 130 |
| 2006 | 145 |
| 2007 | 120 |
| 2008 | 136 |
| 2009 | 110 |
| 2010 | 114 |
| 2011 | 107 |
| 2012 | 142 |
| 2014 | 122 |
| 2015 | 126 |
| 2016 | 130 |
| 2019 | 131 |
| 2021 | 117 |
| 2022 | 122 |
| 2023 | 158 |
| 2024 | 159 |
| 2025 | 129 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 11.7 °C |
| 1997 | 12.6 °C |
| 1998 | 14.7 °C |
| 1999 | 12.3 °C |
| 2001 | 13.7 °C |
| 2002 | 12.2 °C |
| 2003 | 12.5 °C |
| 2004 | 11.7 °C |
| 2005 | 12.3 °C |
| 2006 | 14.0 °C |
| 2007 | 12.8 °C |
| 2008 | 12.1 °C |
| 2009 | 12.6 °C |
| 2010 | 11.9 °C |
| 2011 | 13.1 °C |
| 2012 | 13.5 °C |
| 2014 | 12.9 °C |
| 2015 | 13.1 °C |
| 2016 | 13.7 °C |
| 2017 | 13.2 °C |
| 2018 | 12.9 °C |
| 2019 | 12.4 °C |
| 2021 | 13.8 °C |
| 2022 | 13.4 °C |
| 2023 | 14.3 °C |
| 2024 | 13.9 °C |
| 2025 | 14.2 °C |
| 2026 | 13.1 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Wainwright Cfb Airfield 21 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.