When to plant in Lorraine, QC
Planting dates worked out from Lorraine's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 23
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 28
1 year in 10 by Sep 18
Frost-free days
138
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ste Therese Ouest · 8.7 km away · station 61 m, town 64 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 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 27 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 5 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 23 |
| Beet | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 13 |
| Potato | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 3 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 7 |
| Winter squash | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Aug 11 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jul 16 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 14 – Oct 12 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 |
Lorraine'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 |
|---|---|
| 1963 | May 12 |
| 1964 | May 21 |
| 1965 | Jun 3 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 31 |
| 1968 | May 11 |
| 1969 | May 27 |
| 1970 | May 12 |
| 1971 | Jun 5 |
| 1972 | Jun 11 |
| 1973 | Apr 30 |
| 1974 | May 20 |
| 1975 | Apr 28 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | May 15 |
| 1978 | May 4 |
| 1979 | May 7 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 18 |
| 1982 | Apr 30 |
| 1983 | May 18 |
| 1984 | May 17 |
| 1985 | May 9 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 16 |
| 1988 | May 15 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | May 3 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | May 18 |
| 1994 | May 14 |
| 1995 | May 8 |
| 1996 | May 26 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 19 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 17 |
| 2009 | Apr 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 123 |
| 1964 | 113 |
| 1965 | 115 |
| 1966 | 137 |
| 1967 | 102 |
| 1968 | 147 |
| 1970 | 146 |
| 1972 | 103 |
| 1973 | 139 |
| 1974 | 126 |
| 1975 | 157 |
| 1976 | 140 |
| 1977 | 144 |
| 1978 | 144 |
| 1979 | 135 |
| 1980 | 142 |
| 1981 | 143 |
| 1982 | 162 |
| 1983 | 119 |
| 1984 | 132 |
| 1985 | 154 |
| 1986 | 105 |
| 1987 | 133 |
| 1988 | 136 |
| 1989 | 148 |
| 1990 | 138 |
| 1991 | 124 |
| 1992 | 139 |
| 1993 | 124 |
| 1994 | 139 |
| 1995 | 125 |
| 1996 | 120 |
| 1997 | 138 |
| 1998 | 149 |
| 1999 | 146 |
| 2000 | 128 |
| 2001 | 161 |
| 2002 | 133 |
| 2003 | 155 |
| 2004 | 147 |
| 2007 | 116 |
| 2008 | 124 |
| 2009 | 165 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 14.7 °C |
| 1964 | 14.5 °C |
| 1965 | 14.1 °C |
| 1966 | 14.0 °C |
| 1967 | 14.0 °C |
| 1968 | 14.7 °C |
| 1969 | 14.1 °C |
| 1970 | 14.2 °C |
| 1972 | 14.1 °C |
| 1973 | 15.5 °C |
| 1974 | 14.0 °C |
| 1975 | 15.4 °C |
| 1976 | 14.7 °C |
| 1977 | 14.9 °C |
| 1978 | 14.7 °C |
| 1979 | 15.1 °C |
| 1980 | 14.8 °C |
| 1981 | 15.4 °C |
| 1982 | 14.5 °C |
| 1983 | 15.4 °C |
| 1984 | 15.0 °C |
| 1985 | 14.4 °C |
| 1986 | 14.4 °C |
| 1987 | 15.5 °C |
| 1988 | 15.3 °C |
| 1989 | 15.1 °C |
| 1990 | 14.9 °C |
| 1991 | 15.7 °C |
| 1992 | 13.9 °C |
| 1993 | 14.9 °C |
| 1994 | 14.7 °C |
| 1995 | 15.0 °C |
| 1996 | 14.7 °C |
| 1997 | 14.3 °C |
| 1998 | 16.1 °C |
| 1999 | 16.5 °C |
| 2000 | 14.5 °C |
| 2001 | 16.1 °C |
| 2002 | 15.5 °C |
| 2003 | 15.8 °C |
| 2004 | 15.2 °C |
| 2007 | 14.8 °C |
| 2008 | 14.4 °C |
| 2009 | 14.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1963, Lorraine's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ste Therese Ouest (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.