When to plant in Willow, AK
Planting dates worked out from Willow's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 7
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Jun 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 2
1 year in 10 by Aug 17
Frost-free days
92
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Whites Crossing · 5.0 km away · station 82 m, town 64 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 12 – Apr 26 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 6 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 31 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 14 |
| Peas | — | May 5 – Jun 2 | Jun 29 |
| Bush beans | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 20 |
| Carrot | — | May 15 – Jun 26 | Jul 14 |
| Beet | — | May 15 – Jun 26 | Jul 4 |
| Potato | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 24 |
| Kale | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Broccoli | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Cucumber | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 27 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Jul 22 |
| Winter squash Season likely too short |
May 10 – May 17 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 26 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 31 – Jun 21 | Jul 30 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | May 5 – May 26 | Aug 3 |
| Garlic | — | Aug 19 – Sep 16 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | May 5 – Jun 2 | Jun 12 |
| Basil | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 7 – Jun 21 | Aug 3 |
Willow'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 |
|---|---|
| 1972 | Jun 10 |
| 1973 | May 29 |
| 1974 | May 19 |
| 1977 | May 30 |
| 1978 | May 18 |
| 1979 | Jun 14 |
| 1980 | May 19 |
| 1981 | May 24 |
| 1982 | Jun 3 |
| 1983 | Jun 7 |
| 1985 | Jun 2 |
| 1986 | Jun 13 |
| 1987 | Jun 23 |
| 1988 | Jun 1 |
| 1989 | Jun 12 |
| 1990 | May 25 |
| 1991 | Jun 5 |
| 1992 | Jun 6 |
| 1993 | Jun 8 |
| 1994 | Jun 1 |
| 1995 | Jun 6 |
| 1996 | Jun 5 |
| 1997 | Jun 15 |
| 1999 | Jun 4 |
| 2000 | May 29 |
| 2001 | May 30 |
| 2002 | Jun 2 |
| 2003 | May 28 |
| 2004 | May 20 |
| 2006 | Jun 5 |
| 2007 | May 22 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 97 |
| 1973 | 76 |
| 1974 | 92 |
| 1977 | 109 |
| 1978 | 98 |
| 1979 | 78 |
| 1980 | 73 |
| 1981 | 84 |
| 1982 | 100 |
| 1985 | 99 |
| 1986 | 63 |
| 1987 | 57 |
| 1988 | 93 |
| 1989 | 95 |
| 1990 | 97 |
| 1991 | 83 |
| 1992 | 88 |
| 1993 | 94 |
| 1994 | 95 |
| 1995 | 112 |
| 1996 | 83 |
| 1997 | 78 |
| 1999 | 92 |
| 2000 | 78 |
| 2001 | 101 |
| 2002 | 92 |
| 2003 | 65 |
| 2006 | 99 |
| 2007 | 115 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 9.0 °C |
| 1973 | 9.7 °C |
| 1974 | 10.9 °C |
| 1977 | 10.2 °C |
| 1978 | 9.7 °C |
| 1979 | 10.1 °C |
| 1980 | 8.1 °C |
| 1981 | 9.5 °C |
| 1982 | 8.6 °C |
| 1983 | 9.2 °C |
| 1984 | 9.7 °C |
| 1985 | 7.8 °C |
| 1986 | 8.6 °C |
| 1987 | 9.3 °C |
| 1988 | 9.6 °C |
| 1989 | 10.2 °C |
| 1990 | 11.2 °C |
| 1991 | 9.8 °C |
| 1992 | 8.5 °C |
| 1993 | 11.0 °C |
| 1994 | 10.3 °C |
| 1995 | 10.8 °C |
| 1996 | 9.5 °C |
| 1997 | 10.9 °C |
| 1998 | 9.5 °C |
| 1999 | 9.8 °C |
| 2003 | 9.9 °C |
| 2004 | 11.1 °C |
| 2006 | 9.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1972, Willow's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Whites Crossing (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.