When to plant in Nakusp, BC
Planting dates worked out from Nakusp's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 10
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 25
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 14
1 year in 10 by Sep 26
Frost-free days
172
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Nakusp Cs · 2.4 km away · station 512 m, town 484 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 15 – Mar 29 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 4 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 9 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jun 22 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 16 – May 28 | Jun 15 |
| Beet | — | Apr 16 – May 28 | Jun 5 |
| Potato | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 25 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 29 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 24 |
| Winter squash | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 2 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 22 – Oct 20 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 6 |
Nakusp'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 |
|---|---|
| 1991 | May 2 |
| 1992 | Apr 24 |
| 1993 | Apr 20 |
| 1994 | Apr 2 |
| 1995 | Apr 22 |
| 1996 | Apr 28 |
| 1997 | Apr 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 20 |
| 1999 | May 10 |
| 2001 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | Apr 3 |
| 2006 | May 9 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 1 |
| 2010 | Apr 12 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 1 |
| 2014 | May 7 |
| 2015 | May 3 |
| 2016 | Mar 30 |
| 2017 | Apr 16 |
| 2018 | Apr 24 |
| 2019 | Apr 30 |
| 2020 | Apr 16 |
| 2021 | May 19 |
| 2022 | May 14 |
| 2023 | Apr 22 |
| 2024 | Apr 23 |
| 2025 | May 5 |
| 2026 | Apr 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 154 |
| 1992 | 144 |
| 1993 | 182 |
| 1994 | 205 |
| 1995 | 179 |
| 1996 | 171 |
| 1997 | 172 |
| 1998 | 180 |
| 1999 | 140 |
| 2003 | 202 |
| 2004 | 204 |
| 2006 | 173 |
| 2008 | 161 |
| 2009 | 160 |
| 2011 | 176 |
| 2012 | 144 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 126 |
| 2015 | 186 |
| 2016 | 195 |
| 2017 | 169 |
| 2018 | 163 |
| 2019 | 161 |
| 2020 | 181 |
| 2021 | 142 |
| 2022 | 171 |
| 2023 | 185 |
| 2024 | 184 |
| 2025 | 160 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 14.6 °C |
| 1992 | 14.9 °C |
| 1993 | 14.7 °C |
| 1994 | 15.7 °C |
| 1995 | 15.3 °C |
| 1997 | 14.6 °C |
| 1998 | 17.7 °C |
| 1999 | 14.2 °C |
| 2003 | 15.8 °C |
| 2004 | 15.9 °C |
| 2006 | 16.3 °C |
| 2008 | 14.7 °C |
| 2009 | 16.2 °C |
| 2010 | 16.0 °C |
| 2011 | 14.4 °C |
| 2012 | 14.7 °C |
| 2013 | 15.6 °C |
| 2014 | 15.5 °C |
| 2015 | 15.7 °C |
| 2016 | 15.7 °C |
| 2017 | 15.7 °C |
| 2018 | 14.8 °C |
| 2019 | 15.0 °C |
| 2020 | 14.4 °C |
| 2021 | 15.3 °C |
| 2022 | 14.7 °C |
| 2023 | 16.1 °C |
| 2024 | 15.1 °C |
| 2025 | 15.5 °C |
| 2026 | 14.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1991, Nakusp's last spring frost has come about 2 days later per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Nakusp Cs (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.