When to plant in Spirit Lake, ID
Planting dates worked out from Spirit Lake'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 24
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 16
1 year in 10 by Aug 26
Frost-free days
118
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Bayview Model Basin · 23.1 km away · station 636 m, town 783 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 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 5 |
| Peas | — | Apr 13 – May 11 | Jun 7 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 2 – Jun 23 | Jul 22 |
| Carrot | — | May 3 – Jun 14 | Jul 2 |
| Beet | — | Apr 27 – Jun 8 | Jun 16 |
| Potato | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 12 |
| Kale | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 10 | Jun 8 |
| Broccoli | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| 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 Season likely too short |
May 12 – May 19 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 28 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 2 – Jun 23 | Aug 1 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 25 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 2 – Sep 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 13 – May 11 | May 21 |
| Basil | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 9 – Jun 23 | Aug 5 |
Spirit Lake'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 |
|---|---|
| 1948 | May 15 |
| 1949 | Jun 30 |
| 1950 | Jun 26 |
| 1951 | Jun 2 |
| 1952 | May 30 |
| 1953 | May 28 |
| 1954 | Jun 7 |
| 1955 | May 28 |
| 1956 | Jun 30 |
| 1957 | Apr 27 |
| 1958 | May 15 |
| 1959 | May 30 |
| 1960 | May 28 |
| 1961 | Jun 8 |
| 1962 | Jun 11 |
| 1963 | May 17 |
| 1964 | May 26 |
| 1965 | May 19 |
| 1966 | May 18 |
| 1967 | May 25 |
| 1968 | May 31 |
| 1969 | May 5 |
| 1970 | May 18 |
| 1971 | Jul 7 |
| 1972 | May 3 |
| 1973 | Jun 19 |
| 1974 | May 17 |
| 1975 | May 26 |
| 1976 | Jun 4 |
| 1977 | May 30 |
| 1978 | May 31 |
| 1979 | Jun 14 |
| 1981 | May 7 |
| 1982 | Jun 8 |
| 1983 | May 21 |
| 1986 | May 24 |
| 1987 | Apr 27 |
| 1988 | May 4 |
| 1989 | May 25 |
| 1990 | May 27 |
| 1991 | May 31 |
| 1992 | May 18 |
| 1993 | Apr 24 |
| 1994 | May 2 |
| 1995 | May 4 |
| 1996 | May 21 |
| 1997 | May 20 |
| 1998 | May 27 |
| 1999 | Jun 10 |
| 2000 | Jun 20 |
| 2001 | Jun 5 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2005 | Jun 6 |
| 2007 | Jun 19 |
| 2009 | Jun 8 |
| 2010 | May 28 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Jun 7 |
| 2013 | May 26 |
| 2014 | May 13 |
| 2015 | May 8 |
| 2016 | May 20 |
| 2017 | May 15 |
| 2018 | Jun 2 |
| 2025 | May 9 |
| 2026 | Jun 8 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 131 |
| 1950 | 38 |
| 1951 | 113 |
| 1952 | 106 |
| 1953 | 114 |
| 1954 | 114 |
| 1955 | 113 |
| 1956 | 64 |
| 1957 | 135 |
| 1958 | 110 |
| 1959 | 91 |
| 1960 | 100 |
| 1961 | 95 |
| 1962 | 86 |
| 1963 | 123 |
| 1964 | 106 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 137 |
| 1967 | 120 |
| 1968 | 123 |
| 1969 | 123 |
| 1970 | 113 |
| 1971 | 67 |
| 1972 | 129 |
| 1973 | 59 |
| 1974 | 118 |
| 1975 | 116 |
| 1976 | 94 |
| 1977 | 115 |
| 1978 | 108 |
| 1979 | 109 |
| 1986 | 105 |
| 1987 | 100 |
| 1988 | 130 |
| 1989 | 130 |
| 1990 | 131 |
| 1991 | 114 |
| 1992 | 98 |
| 1993 | 147 |
| 1994 | 156 |
| 1995 | 139 |
| 1996 | 123 |
| 1997 | 138 |
| 1998 | 131 |
| 1999 | 59 |
| 2001 | 82 |
| 2002 | 103 |
| 2003 | 115 |
| 2005 | 106 |
| 2007 | 81 |
| 2009 | 59 |
| 2010 | 136 |
| 2011 | 138 |
| 2012 | 97 |
| 2013 | 129 |
| 2014 | 121 |
| 2015 | 137 |
| 2016 | 115 |
| 2017 | 123 |
| 2018 | 107 |
| 2025 | 148 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1947 | 14.0 °C |
| 1948 | 13.3 °C |
| 1950 | 12.8 °C |
| 1951 | 13.6 °C |
| 1952 | 14.2 °C |
| 1953 | 13.4 °C |
| 1954 | 12.7 °C |
| 1955 | 12.4 °C |
| 1956 | 13.4 °C |
| 1957 | 13.4 °C |
| 1958 | 14.9 °C |
| 1959 | 11.4 °C |
| 1960 | 12.6 °C |
| 1961 | 13.6 °C |
| 1962 | 12.4 °C |
| 1963 | 12.8 °C |
| 1964 | 12.0 °C |
| 1965 | 13.0 °C |
| 1966 | 13.6 °C |
| 1967 | 14.3 °C |
| 1968 | 12.8 °C |
| 1969 | 13.4 °C |
| 1970 | 13.2 °C |
| 1971 | 12.7 °C |
| 1972 | 13.1 °C |
| 1973 | 13.4 °C |
| 1974 | 13.4 °C |
| 1975 | 12.7 °C |
| 1976 | 12.5 °C |
| 1977 | 13.3 °C |
| 1978 | 13.2 °C |
| 1982 | 12.4 °C |
| 1983 | 12.4 °C |
| 1986 | 13.0 °C |
| 1987 | 13.4 °C |
| 1988 | 13.4 °C |
| 1989 | 13.2 °C |
| 1990 | 13.8 °C |
| 1991 | 13.3 °C |
| 1992 | 13.8 °C |
| 1993 | 13.1 °C |
| 1994 | 14.5 °C |
| 1995 | 13.4 °C |
| 1996 | 12.4 °C |
| 1997 | 13.7 °C |
| 1998 | 16.0 °C |
| 1999 | 12.9 °C |
| 2000 | 12.9 °C |
| 2001 | 12.8 °C |
| 2002 | 12.4 °C |
| 2003 | 13.4 °C |
| 2007 | 14.3 °C |
| 2009 | 14.1 °C |
| 2010 | 13.1 °C |
| 2011 | 13.5 °C |
| 2012 | 12.8 °C |
| 2013 | 13.9 °C |
| 2014 | 13.6 °C |
| 2015 | 14.6 °C |
| 2016 | 13.9 °C |
| 2017 | 13.7 °C |
| 2018 | 13.4 °C |
| 2025 | 15.1 °C |
| 2026 | 14.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1948, Spirit Lake's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Bayview Model Basin (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.