When to plant in Invermere, BC
Planting dates worked out from Invermere'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 12
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 23
1 year in 10 by Sep 7
Frost-free days
136
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Kootenay Np West Gate · 12.8 km away · station 935 m, town 803 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 10 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 24 |
| Peas | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 25 |
| Bush beans | — | May 19 – Jun 9 | Jul 8 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Jun 20 |
| Beet | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 3 |
| Potato | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 30 |
| Kale | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 27 |
| Broccoli | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 13 |
| 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 14 – May 5 | Jul 13 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 9 – Oct 7 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 31 – Apr 28 | May 8 |
| Basil | Apr 14 – Apr 28 | May 26 – Jun 9 | Jul 22 |
Invermere'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 |
|---|---|
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | May 18 |
| 1971 | May 15 |
| 1972 | May 3 |
| 1973 | May 12 |
| 1974 | May 17 |
| 1975 | Apr 29 |
| 1976 | May 15 |
| 1977 | Jun 3 |
| 1978 | May 8 |
| 1979 | May 28 |
| 1980 | Apr 22 |
| 1981 | May 5 |
| 1982 | May 11 |
| 1983 | May 11 |
| 1984 | May 10 |
| 1985 | May 13 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | Apr 26 |
| 1988 | May 2 |
| 1989 | May 12 |
| 1990 | May 7 |
| 1991 | May 2 |
| 1992 | May 16 |
| 1993 | May 3 |
| 1994 | May 4 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 9 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 26 |
| 1999 | Jun 8 |
| 2000 | May 24 |
| 2001 | May 7 |
| 2002 | May 10 |
| 2003 | May 19 |
| 2004 | May 14 |
| 2005 | May 2 |
| 2006 | May 10 |
| 2008 | May 3 |
| 2009 | May 2 |
| 2011 | May 27 |
| 2012 | May 12 |
| 2013 | May 2 |
| 2019 | May 20 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1969 | 156 |
| 1970 | 116 |
| 1971 | 124 |
| 1972 | 144 |
| 1973 | 126 |
| 1974 | 134 |
| 1975 | 142 |
| 1976 | 142 |
| 1977 | 115 |
| 1978 | 130 |
| 1979 | 127 |
| 1981 | 141 |
| 1982 | 125 |
| 1983 | 129 |
| 1984 | 126 |
| 1985 | 131 |
| 1986 | 119 |
| 1987 | 143 |
| 1989 | 121 |
| 1990 | 143 |
| 1992 | 113 |
| 1993 | 136 |
| 1994 | 152 |
| 1995 | 116 |
| 1996 | 145 |
| 1997 | 148 |
| 1998 | 173 |
| 1999 | 90 |
| 2000 | 109 |
| 2001 | 150 |
| 2003 | 127 |
| 2005 | 126 |
| 2006 | 150 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1969 | 14.1 °C |
| 1970 | 13.7 °C |
| 1971 | 13.8 °C |
| 1972 | 12.8 °C |
| 1973 | 13.6 °C |
| 1974 | 13.4 °C |
| 1975 | 13.1 °C |
| 1976 | 13.2 °C |
| 1977 | 13.4 °C |
| 1978 | 13.3 °C |
| 1979 | 14.0 °C |
| 1980 | 13.3 °C |
| 1981 | 13.5 °C |
| 1982 | 13.0 °C |
| 1983 | 13.3 °C |
| 1984 | 12.9 °C |
| 1985 | 13.3 °C |
| 1986 | 13.4 °C |
| 1987 | 14.4 °C |
| 1988 | 13.8 °C |
| 1989 | 13.6 °C |
| 1990 | 13.7 °C |
| 1991 | 13.9 °C |
| 1992 | 13.7 °C |
| 1993 | 13.6 °C |
| 1994 | 15.0 °C |
| 1995 | 13.5 °C |
| 1996 | 13.3 °C |
| 1997 | 13.6 °C |
| 1998 | 15.6 °C |
| 1999 | 12.9 °C |
| 2000 | 13.1 °C |
| 2001 | 14.4 °C |
| 2003 | 14.6 °C |
| 2005 | 13.2 °C |
| 2006 | 15.0 °C |
| 2008 | 13.5 °C |
| 2012 | 14.6 °C |
| 2013 | 14.6 °C |
| 2015 | 14.9 °C |
| 2019 | 13.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1969, Invermere's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Kootenay Np West Gate (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.