When to plant in Preston, ID
Planting dates worked out from Preston's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 9
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 20
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 24
1 year in 10 by Sep 9
Frost-free days
125
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Preston · 0.6 km away · station 1438 m, town 1437 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 14 – Apr 28 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 8 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 18 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 1 |
| Peas | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Jun 2 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 2 – Jun 23 | Jul 22 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 29 – Jun 10 | Jun 28 |
| Beet | — | Apr 22 – Jun 3 | Jun 11 |
| Potato | — | Apr 29 – May 20 | Jul 8 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 6 | Jun 4 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 |
| Cucumber | May 12 – May 19 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Jul 29 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 12 – May 19 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Jul 24 |
| Winter squash | May 12 – May 19 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 28 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 2 – Jun 23 | Aug 1 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jul 21 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 10 – Oct 8 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | May 16 |
| Basil | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 5 |
Preston'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 |
|---|---|
| 1965 | May 27 |
| 1967 | May 14 |
| 1968 | Jul 1 |
| 1969 | Jun 29 |
| 1970 | Jun 14 |
| 1981 | May 13 |
| 1982 | Jun 9 |
| 1983 | May 14 |
| 1984 | May 7 |
| 1985 | May 14 |
| 1987 | May 3 |
| 1989 | Jun 20 |
| 1991 | Jun 17 |
| 1992 | May 10 |
| 1993 | May 11 |
| 1995 | May 8 |
| 2000 | Jun 2 |
| 2002 | Jun 10 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 30 |
| 2005 | May 1 |
| 2006 | May 11 |
| 2007 | May 23 |
| 2008 | Jun 8 |
| 2009 | May 13 |
| 2010 | May 23 |
| 2011 | Jun 3 |
| 2012 | May 11 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2014 | May 14 |
| 2015 | May 11 |
| 2016 | May 12 |
| 2017 | May 20 |
| 2018 | May 3 |
| 2019 | Jun 9 |
| 2020 | May 23 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | Jun 15 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Jun 18 |
| 2025 | May 19 |
| 2026 | Jun 11 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 96 |
| 1967 | 121 |
| 1969 | 95 |
| 1970 | 92 |
| 1981 | 135 |
| 1982 | 109 |
| 1983 | 128 |
| 1984 | 137 |
| 1985 | 131 |
| 1989 | 84 |
| 1991 | 89 |
| 1992 | 107 |
| 1993 | 125 |
| 2002 | 123 |
| 2003 | 116 |
| 2004 | 114 |
| 2005 | 147 |
| 2006 | 129 |
| 2009 | 140 |
| 2010 | 106 |
| 2011 | 127 |
| 2012 | 145 |
| 2013 | 152 |
| 2014 | 120 |
| 2015 | 168 |
| 2016 | 146 |
| 2017 | 125 |
| 2018 | 145 |
| 2019 | 111 |
| 2020 | 108 |
| 2021 | 131 |
| 2022 | 126 |
| 2023 | 182 |
| 2024 | 122 |
| 2025 | 140 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1965 | 14.0 °C |
| 1966 | 15.8 °C |
| 1967 | 15.2 °C |
| 1968 | 13.3 °C |
| 1969 | 16.1 °C |
| 1970 | 13.8 °C |
| 1981 | 16.3 °C |
| 1984 | 14.6 °C |
| 1985 | 15.5 °C |
| 1987 | 16.2 °C |
| 1991 | 14.9 °C |
| 1992 | 16.5 °C |
| 1994 | 17.1 °C |
| 1999 | 14.4 °C |
| 2002 | 16.3 °C |
| 2003 | 16.7 °C |
| 2004 | 15.8 °C |
| 2005 | 15.7 °C |
| 2006 | 16.7 °C |
| 2008 | 15.3 °C |
| 2009 | 15.8 °C |
| 2010 | 15.0 °C |
| 2011 | 15.1 °C |
| 2012 | 17.1 °C |
| 2013 | 16.9 °C |
| 2014 | 16.4 °C |
| 2015 | 16.8 °C |
| 2017 | 16.5 °C |
| 2018 | 17.3 °C |
| 2019 | 15.9 °C |
| 2020 | 16.4 °C |
| 2021 | 17.2 °C |
| 2022 | 16.5 °C |
| 2023 | 15.9 °C |
| 2024 | 16.6 °C |
| 2025 | 17.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1965, Preston's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Preston (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.