When to plant in Shellbrook, SK

Planting dates worked out from Shellbrook's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyMay 99 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 23about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outJun 61 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlySep 51 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 14about half of years have had frost
LateSep 249 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 112 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Prince Albert A · 48.9 km away · station 428 m, town 494 m. How we match towns to stations

The nearest reliable station is 49 km away, so frost dates here may be off by a week or more. Check them against local experience.

This season

Plan your garden.

Build my Shellbrook plan

Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Apr 11 – Apr 25	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Jul 31
Sweet pepper	Mar 28 – Apr 11	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Aug 5
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 24 – Mar 31	Apr 28 – May 12	Jun 7
Peas	—	Apr 28 – May 26	Jun 22
Bush beans	—	May 30 – Jun 20	Jul 19
Carrot	—	May 6 – Jun 17	Jul 5
Beet	—	May 6 – Jun 17	Jun 25
Potato	—	May 6 – May 27	Jul 15
Kale	Mar 24 – Apr 7	May 5 – May 19	Jun 17
Broccoli	Mar 17 – Mar 31	Apr 28 – May 19	Jun 27
Cucumber	May 9 – May 16	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Jul 26
Summer squash and zucchini	May 9 – May 16	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Jul 21
Winter squash	May 9 – May 16	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Aug 25
Sweet corn	—	May 30 – Jun 20	Jul 29
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 28 – May 19	Jul 27
Garlic	—	Aug 31 – Sep 28 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 28 – May 26	Jun 5
Basil	Apr 25 – May 9	Jun 6 – Jun 20	Aug 2

Plan all 65 crops for Shellbrook

Shellbrook'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
1943	May 27
1944	Jun 17
1945	Jun 1
1946	Jun 18
1947	Jun 10
1948	Jun 12
1949	Jun 19
1950	Jun 16
1951	Jun 6
1952	May 31
1953	Jun 6
1954	Jun 1
1955	May 24
1956	May 17
1957	Jun 11
1958	Jun 24
1959	May 31
1960	Jun 6
1961	May 25
1962	May 16
1963	May 29
1964	Jun 1
1965	Jun 9
1966	Jun 8
1967	Jun 22
1968	Jun 22
1969	Jun 21
1970	May 26
1971	Jun 7
1972	Jun 3
1973	May 16
1974	May 25
1975	May 27
1976	May 18
1977	May 7
1978	May 30
1979	May 18
1980	May 30
1981	May 30
1982	Jun 11
1983	May 24
1984	May 27
1985	Jun 22
1986	Jun 14
1987	May 21
1988	May 16
1989	May 31
1990	Jun 3
1991	May 7
1992	Jun 7
1993	Jun 6
1994	May 6
1995	Jun 8
1996	May 24
1997	May 24
1998	Jun 6
1999	May 9
2000	May 17
2001	May 23
2002	May 25
2003	May 22
2004	May 22
2005	May 14
2006	May 11
2007	May 25
2008	May 27
2009	Jun 5
2010	May 27
2011	May 24
2012	May 29
2013	May 11

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1943	97
1944	58
1945	110
1946	74
1947	88
1948	88
1949	78
1950	67
1951	66
1952	110
1953	106
1954	107
1955	106
1956	110
1957	98
1958	71
1959	106
1960	96
1961	100
1962	109
1963	109
1964	70
1965	86
1966	96
1967	89
1968	86
1969	86
1970	85
1971	94
1972	89
1973	95
1974	98
1975	81
1976	101
1977	101
1978	107
1980	87
1981	95
1982	76
1983	109
1984	95
1985	77
1986	83
1987	119
1988	130
1989	100
1990	107
1991	120
1992	74
1993	97
1994	145
1995	90
1996	109
1997	116
1998	106
1999	127
2000	119
2001	112
2002	120
2003	114
2004	89
2005	132
2006	130
2007	110
2008	109
2009	114
2010	109
2011	112
2012	109

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1943	11.8 °C
1944	12.5 °C
1945	10.1 °C
1946	12.2 °C
1947	11.5 °C
1948	11.8 °C
1949	13.0 °C
1950	11.2 °C
1951	10.9 °C
1952	12.8 °C
1953	11.2 °C
1954	9.3 °C
1955	12.3 °C
1956	11.1 °C
1957	11.8 °C
1958	11.8 °C
1959	11.2 °C
1960	12.2 °C
1961	11.8 °C
1962	11.9 °C
1963	12.7 °C
1964	12.0 °C
1965	11.1 °C
1966	11.4 °C
1967	11.6 °C
1968	11.2 °C
1969	11.8 °C
1970	12.0 °C
1971	12.0 °C
1972	11.2 °C
1973	11.8 °C
1974	10.4 °C
1975	11.1 °C
1976	13.0 °C
1977	12.2 °C
1978	11.9 °C
1979	11.0 °C
1980	13.0 °C
1981	12.9 °C
1982	11.1 °C
1983	11.9 °C
1984	12.8 °C
1985	11.3 °C
1986	11.9 °C
1987	13.4 °C
1988	13.8 °C
1989	13.0 °C
1990	12.6 °C
1991	13.6 °C
1992	10.9 °C
1993	11.3 °C
1994	12.5 °C
1995	11.6 °C
1996	11.8 °C
1997	12.6 °C
1998	13.8 °C
1999	12.1 °C
2000	11.7 °C
2001	13.4 °C
2002	11.7 °C
2003	13.3 °C
2004	10.8 °C
2005	12.1 °C
2006	13.8 °C
2007	12.2 °C
2008	12.1 °C
2009	12.0 °C
2010	12.6 °C
2011	13.0 °C
2012	13.3 °C
2013	12.3 °C

What this means for you: Since 1943, Shellbrook's last spring frost has come about 3 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Prince Albert A (NOAA GHCN-Daily, from Environment and Climate Change Canada). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

Prince Albert Rosthern Waldheim Dalmeny Warman Langham