When to plant in Otterburn Park, QC
Planting dates worked out from Otterburn Park'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 10
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 5
1 year in 10 by Sep 24
Frost-free days
148
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ste Madeleine · 11.3 km away · station 30 m, town 13 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 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | Jun 10 |
| Bush beans | — | May 18 – Jun 8 | Jul 7 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 12 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 12 – Mar 26 | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 5 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| 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 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 21 – Oct 19 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 16 – May 14 | May 24 |
| Basil | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 25 – Jun 8 | Jul 21 |
Otterburn Park'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 |
|---|---|
| 1982 | May 5 |
| 1983 | May 17 |
| 1984 | Apr 23 |
| 1985 | May 29 |
| 1986 | Jun 3 |
| 1987 | May 16 |
| 1988 | May 8 |
| 1989 | Apr 29 |
| 1990 | May 3 |
| 1991 | May 19 |
| 1992 | May 25 |
| 1993 | May 18 |
| 1994 | May 3 |
| 1995 | May 7 |
| 1996 | Apr 28 |
| 1997 | May 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 29 |
| 2000 | May 19 |
| 2001 | May 6 |
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 8 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | May 7 |
| 2007 | May 6 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 26 |
| 2010 | May 13 |
| 2011 | Apr 22 |
| 2012 | May 7 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 25 |
| 2016 | Apr 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 158 |
| 1983 | 119 |
| 1984 | 151 |
| 1985 | 134 |
| 1986 | 115 |
| 1987 | 133 |
| 1988 | 143 |
| 1989 | 150 |
| 1990 | 169 |
| 1991 | 132 |
| 1992 | 121 |
| 1993 | 124 |
| 1994 | 160 |
| 1995 | 134 |
| 1996 | 148 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 128 |
| 2001 | 146 |
| 2002 | 131 |
| 2003 | 155 |
| 2004 | 149 |
| 2005 | 160 |
| 2006 | 151 |
| 2007 | 159 |
| 2008 | 157 |
| 2009 | 138 |
| 2010 | 151 |
| 2011 | 186 |
| 2012 | 143 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 14.5 °C |
| 1983 | 15.8 °C |
| 1984 | 15.6 °C |
| 1985 | 14.6 °C |
| 1986 | 14.6 °C |
| 1987 | 15.7 °C |
| 1988 | 15.7 °C |
| 1989 | 15.5 °C |
| 1990 | 14.7 °C |
| 1991 | 15.8 °C |
| 1992 | 14.3 °C |
| 1993 | 14.9 °C |
| 1994 | 15.1 °C |
| 1995 | 15.3 °C |
| 1996 | 15.2 °C |
| 1998 | 16.3 °C |
| 1999 | 16.8 °C |
| 2000 | 14.7 °C |
| 2001 | 16.4 °C |
| 2002 | 16.1 °C |
| 2003 | 15.9 °C |
| 2004 | 15.6 °C |
| 2005 | 16.8 °C |
| 2006 | 16.1 °C |
| 2007 | 15.6 °C |
| 2008 | 16.0 °C |
| 2009 | 15.7 °C |
| 2010 | 17.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1982, Otterburn Park's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Ste Madeleine (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.