When to plant in Shawinigan, QC
Planting dates worked out from Shawinigan's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 18
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 5
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 9
1 year in 10 by Sep 23
Frost-free days
158
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Shawinigan · 1.3 km away · station 110 m, town 123 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 23 – Apr 6 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 12 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 9 – Mar 23 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 17 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 1 |
| Peas | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 16 |
| Bush beans | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 1 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 11 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 |
| Cucumber | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 7 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 2 |
| Winter squash | Apr 20 – Apr 27 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Aug 6 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 12 – Jun 2 | Jul 11 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 21 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 22 – Oct 20 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 22 – May 20 | May 30 |
| Basil | Apr 6 – Apr 20 | May 18 – Jun 1 | Jul 14 |
Shawinigan'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 |
|---|---|
| 2000 | May 19 |
| 2001 | Apr 29 |
| 2002 | May 4 |
| 2003 | May 3 |
| 2004 | May 9 |
| 2005 | May 13 |
| 2006 | Apr 29 |
| 2007 | Apr 26 |
| 2008 | May 2 |
| 2009 | May 19 |
| 2010 | May 11 |
| 2011 | Apr 25 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | May 14 |
| 2014 | Apr 20 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 29 |
| 2017 | May 4 |
| 2018 | May 18 |
| 2019 | May 9 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 28 |
| 2022 | May 6 |
| 2023 | May 18 |
| 2024 | Apr 27 |
| 2025 | May 1 |
| 2026 | May 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 129 |
| 2002 | 156 |
| 2003 | 168 |
| 2004 | 148 |
| 2005 | 161 |
| 2006 | 160 |
| 2008 | 168 |
| 2009 | 145 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 184 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 150 |
| 2017 | 164 |
| 2018 | 128 |
| 2019 | 145 |
| 2020 | 130 |
| 2021 | 149 |
| 2022 | 149 |
| 2023 | 157 |
| 2024 | 168 |
| 2025 | 160 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.1 °C |
| 2002 | 14.3 °C |
| 2003 | 14.3 °C |
| 2004 | 13.7 °C |
| 2005 | 15.2 °C |
| 2006 | 14.4 °C |
| 2007 | 14.1 °C |
| 2008 | 14.8 °C |
| 2009 | 13.9 °C |
| 2010 | 15.5 °C |
| 2011 | 14.6 °C |
| 2012 | 15.3 °C |
| 2013 | 14.2 °C |
| 2014 | 14.3 °C |
| 2017 | 14.6 °C |
| 2018 | 14.6 °C |
| 2019 | 13.7 °C |
| 2020 | 14.4 °C |
| 2021 | 15.7 °C |
| 2022 | 14.8 °C |
| 2023 | 15.2 °C |
| 2024 | 16.0 °C |
| 2025 | 14.8 °C |
| 2026 | 14.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Shawinigan (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.