When to plant in Tok, AK

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

Safe to plant out

Jun 30

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Jun 15

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Aug 10

1 year in 10 by Jul 27

Frost-free days

median, 1991–2020

Station used: Tok · 2.6 km away · station 495 m, town 496 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato Season likely too short	May 5 – May 19	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Aug 24
Sweet pepper Season likely too short	Apr 21 – May 5	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Aug 29
Lettuce (leaf)	Apr 13 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 1	Jun 27
Peas	—	May 8 – Jun 5	Jul 2
Bush beans Season likely too short	—	Jun 23 – Jul 14	Aug 12
Carrot	—	May 25 – Jul 6	Jul 24
Beet	—	May 18 – Jun 29	Jul 7
Potato	—	May 25 – Jun 15	Aug 3
Kale	Apr 6 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 1	Jun 30
Broccoli	Apr 6 – Apr 20	May 18 – Jun 8	Jul 17
Cucumber Season likely too short	Jun 2 – Jun 9	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Aug 19
Summer squash and zucchini Season likely too short	Jun 2 – Jun 9	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Aug 14
Winter squash Season likely too short	Jun 2 – Jun 9	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Sep 18
Sweet corn Season likely too short	—	Jun 23 – Jul 14	Aug 22
Onion (from sets)	—	May 18 – Jun 8	Aug 16
Garlic	—	Jul 27 – Aug 24 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	May 8 – Jun 5	Jun 15
Basil Season likely too short	May 19 – Jun 2	Jun 30 – Jul 14	Aug 26

Plan all 65 crops for Tok

Tok'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
1955	Jul 14
1956	Jun 3
1959	Jun 1
1960	Jul 7
1961	Jun 4
1962	Jun 8
1968	Jun 25
1969	Jun 8
1970	Jul 10
1971	Jul 1
1973	Jun 26
1974	Jul 3
1977	Jul 5
1981	Jul 13
1982	Jun 13
1983	Jun 14
1984	Jun 16
1985	Jun 18
1986	Jul 11
1987	Jun 11
1988	Jun 20
1989	Jun 9
1990	Jul 11
1993	May 23
1997	Jun 15
1998	May 31
1999	Jun 6
2000	Jun 16
2001	Jul 12
2002	Jun 26
2003	Jun 27
2004	Jun 12
2005	Jun 2
2006	Jun 23
2007	Jun 9
2008	Jun 30
2009	Jun 25
2010	May 18
2011	Jun 15
2012	Jul 9
2013	Jun 13
2014	Jun 27
2015	Jun 14
2016	Jun 1
2017	May 29

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1955	14
1956	78
1959	67
1960	10
1961	73
1962	73
1968	19
1969	48
1970	6
1971	20
1974	18
1977	39
1981	21
1982	50
1983	40
1984	53
1985	55
1986	16
1987	59
1988	55
1989	38
1990	18
1993	93
1997	65
1998	72
1999	68
2000	42
2001	44
2002	35
2003	34
2004	51
2005	54
2006	37
2007	60
2009	29
2010	94
2011	31
2012	25
2014	55
2015	58
2016	88

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

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1955	6.6 °C
1956	7.7 °C
1957	8.5 °C
1959	8.3 °C
1960	7.6 °C
1961	7.5 °C
1962	8.3 °C
1968	7.7 °C
1969	7.8 °C
1970	7.0 °C
1971	7.2 °C
1976	8.1 °C
1977	8.8 °C
1981	7.7 °C
1982	7.5 °C
1983	7.9 °C
1984	8.5 °C
1985	7.2 °C
1986	7.9 °C
1987	9.7 °C
1988	9.5 °C
1989	10.1 °C
1990	10.5 °C
1993	10.9 °C
1997	9.4 °C
1998	9.6 °C
1999	9.3 °C
2000	8.2 °C
2001	9.6 °C
2002	8.4 °C
2003	8.4 °C
2004	10.2 °C
2005	9.9 °C
2006	8.5 °C
2007	9.5 °C
2008	8.1 °C
2009	9.6 °C
2010	9.5 °C
2011	8.6 °C
2012	9.3 °C
2014	8.2 °C
2015	9.4 °C
2016	10.4 °C

What this means for you: Since 1955, Tok'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 Tok (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.