When to plant in Prince George, BC
Planting dates worked out from Prince George's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 25
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 23
1 year in 10 by Sep 14
Frost-free days
130
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Prince George Stp · 4.2 km away · station 579 m, town 578 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 30 – Apr 13 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 19 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 16 – Mar 30 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 24 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 27 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 18 – Jun 8 | Jul 7 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 27 |
| Beet | — | Apr 28 – Jun 9 | Jun 17 |
| Potato | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 7 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 27 – May 4 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 14 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 27 – May 4 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 9 |
| Winter squash | Apr 27 – May 4 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Aug 13 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 18 – Jun 8 | Jul 17 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jul 16 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 9 – Oct 7 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 21 |
Prince George'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 |
|---|---|
| 1976 | Jun 5 |
| 1977 | May 22 |
| 1978 | May 24 |
| 1979 | May 14 |
| 1980 | May 3 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | May 10 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | May 25 |
| 1985 | Jun 10 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1987 | May 19 |
| 1988 | May 7 |
| 1989 | May 28 |
| 1990 | May 15 |
| 1991 | Apr 30 |
| 1992 | May 22 |
| 1993 | May 4 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 21 |
| 1996 | May 11 |
| 1997 | May 23 |
| 1998 | May 10 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 26 |
| 2001 | May 20 |
| 2002 | Jun 7 |
| 2003 | May 18 |
| 2004 | May 23 |
| 2005 | May 8 |
| 2006 | May 14 |
| 2007 | May 24 |
| 2008 | May 5 |
| 2009 | May 28 |
| 2010 | May 23 |
| 2011 | May 1 |
| 2012 | May 19 |
| 2014 | May 11 |
| 2016 | May 21 |
| 2017 | May 2 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | May 2 |
| 2021 | May 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 117 |
| 1977 | 133 |
| 1978 | 115 |
| 1979 | 146 |
| 1980 | 159 |
| 1981 | 143 |
| 1982 | 146 |
| 1983 | 130 |
| 1984 | 120 |
| 1985 | 89 |
| 1986 | 117 |
| 1987 | 116 |
| 1988 | 125 |
| 1989 | 111 |
| 1990 | 134 |
| 1991 | 151 |
| 1992 | 91 |
| 1993 | 130 |
| 1994 | 151 |
| 1995 | 120 |
| 1996 | 132 |
| 1997 | 117 |
| 1998 | 127 |
| 1999 | 138 |
| 2000 | 117 |
| 2001 | 132 |
| 2002 | 105 |
| 2003 | 127 |
| 2004 | 128 |
| 2005 | 136 |
| 2006 | 124 |
| 2007 | 117 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 121 |
| 2010 | 116 |
| 2011 | 152 |
| 2012 | 136 |
| 2016 | 130 |
| 2018 | 135 |
| 2019 | 148 |
| 2021 | 133 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1976 | 12.0 °C |
| 1977 | 12.3 °C |
| 1978 | 13.0 °C |
| 1979 | 12.7 °C |
| 1980 | 12.7 °C |
| 1981 | 13.0 °C |
| 1982 | 12.5 °C |
| 1983 | 12.6 °C |
| 1984 | 11.7 °C |
| 1985 | 12.1 °C |
| 1986 | 11.9 °C |
| 1987 | 13.1 °C |
| 1988 | 12.1 °C |
| 1989 | 13.2 °C |
| 1990 | 12.8 °C |
| 1991 | 12.9 °C |
| 1992 | 12.9 °C |
| 1993 | 12.8 °C |
| 1994 | 13.5 °C |
| 1995 | 12.9 °C |
| 1996 | 11.5 °C |
| 1997 | 12.8 °C |
| 1998 | 14.0 °C |
| 1999 | 11.6 °C |
| 2000 | 11.2 °C |
| 2001 | 11.8 °C |
| 2002 | 11.4 °C |
| 2003 | 12.3 °C |
| 2004 | 13.0 °C |
| 2005 | 12.9 °C |
| 2006 | 13.4 °C |
| 2007 | 12.2 °C |
| 2008 | 12.0 °C |
| 2009 | 12.9 °C |
| 2010 | 12.6 °C |
| 2011 | 11.9 °C |
| 2012 | 13.1 °C |
| 2017 | 13.8 °C |
| 2018 | 13.3 °C |
| 2019 | 13.4 °C |
| 2021 | 14.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1976, Prince George's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Prince George Stp (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.