When to plant in Elmendorf Air Force Base, AK
Planting dates worked out from Elmendorf Air Force Base's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 22
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 8
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 25
1 year in 10 by Sep 11
Frost-free days
140
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Ft Richardson Wtp · 3.5 km away · station 143 m, town 185 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 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 28 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 16 | Jun 11 |
| Peas | — | May 2 – May 30 | Jun 26 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 21 |
| Carrot | — | May 13 – Jun 24 | Jul 12 |
| Beet | — | May 13 – Jun 24 | Jul 2 |
| Potato | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 22 |
| Kale | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 23 | Jun 21 |
| Broccoli | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 1 |
| Cucumber | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 |
| Winter squash | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 31 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 31 |
| Garlic | — | Aug 26 – Sep 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | May 2 – May 30 | Jun 9 |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 4 |
Elmendorf Air Force Base'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 |
|---|---|
| 1991 | May 17 |
| 1992 | May 18 |
| 1993 | May 2 |
| 1994 | May 11 |
| 1995 | May 4 |
| 1996 | May 3 |
| 1997 | May 8 |
| 1998 | May 14 |
| 1999 | May 9 |
| 2000 | May 27 |
| 2001 | May 27 |
| 2002 | May 11 |
| 2003 | May 8 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | Apr 20 |
| 2006 | May 9 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
| 2008 | May 21 |
| 2009 | Apr 19 |
| 2010 | Apr 25 |
| 2014 | Apr 27 |
| 2016 | Apr 21 |
| 2018 | May 8 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 4 |
| 2021 | May 5 |
| 2023 | May 17 |
| 2024 | May 10 |
| 2025 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 128 |
| 1992 | 114 |
| 1993 | 143 |
| 1994 | 139 |
| 1995 | 154 |
| 1996 | 141 |
| 1997 | 143 |
| 1998 | 105 |
| 1999 | 139 |
| 2001 | 133 |
| 2002 | 131 |
| 2003 | 128 |
| 2005 | 173 |
| 2006 | 143 |
| 2007 | 133 |
| 2008 | 129 |
| 2009 | 183 |
| 2010 | 154 |
| 2016 | 160 |
| 2018 | 159 |
| 2019 | 147 |
| 2020 | 130 |
| 2021 | 138 |
| 2023 | 133 |
| 2024 | 133 |
| 2025 | 177 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.7 °C |
| 1992 | 8.2 °C |
| 1993 | 11.0 °C |
| 1995 | 10.5 °C |
| 1997 | 11.0 °C |
| 1998 | 9.2 °C |
| 1999 | 9.4 °C |
| 2000 | 9.1 °C |
| 2001 | 9.9 °C |
| 2002 | 9.5 °C |
| 2003 | 10.3 °C |
| 2004 | 10.8 °C |
| 2005 | 11.2 °C |
| 2006 | 9.4 °C |
| 2007 | 10.1 °C |
| 2008 | 8.4 °C |
| 2009 | 11.4 °C |
| 2010 | 11.5 °C |
| 2016 | 11.5 °C |
| 2018 | 10.3 °C |
| 2019 | 11.7 °C |
| 2020 | 10.6 °C |
| 2021 | 9.5 °C |
| 2023 | 9.3 °C |
| 2024 | 9.8 °C |
| 2025 | 10.4 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Ft Richardson Wtp (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.