When to plant in Madelia, MN
Planting dates worked out from Madelia's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 15
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 28
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 4
1 year in 10 by Sep 19
Frost-free days
158
median, 1991–2020
Station used: St James Wwtp · 16.9 km away · station 326 m, town 312 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 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 9 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 14 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 6 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 20 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 30 |
| Broccoli | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jun 9 |
| Cucumber | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 4 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Jun 29 |
| Winter squash | Apr 17 – Apr 24 | May 15 – May 29 | Aug 3 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 10 – May 1 | Jul 9 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 15 – May 29 | Jul 11 |
Madelia'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 |
|---|---|
| 1959 | Apr 22 |
| 1960 | May 11 |
| 1961 | May 2 |
| 1964 | Apr 29 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | May 11 |
| 1967 | May 12 |
| 1968 | May 18 |
| 1969 | Apr 29 |
| 1970 | May 2 |
| 1971 | May 3 |
| 1972 | Apr 26 |
| 1973 | Apr 28 |
| 1974 | May 6 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | Apr 8 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 12 |
| 1980 | May 8 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | Apr 30 |
| 1984 | May 1 |
| 1985 | Apr 9 |
| 1986 | May 1 |
| 1987 | Apr 28 |
| 1988 | Apr 27 |
| 1990 | May 2 |
| 1991 | Apr 21 |
| 1992 | Apr 27 |
| 1993 | Apr 26 |
| 1994 | Apr 30 |
| 1995 | May 18 |
| 1996 | May 2 |
| 1997 | May 15 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 19 |
| 2000 | Apr 21 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | May 3 |
| 2003 | Apr 10 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 21 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2012 | Apr 14 |
| 2013 | May 3 |
| 2014 | Apr 19 |
| 2015 | Apr 27 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | Apr 29 |
| 2018 | Apr 28 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | May 11 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
| 2025 | Apr 20 |
| 2026 | May 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 169 |
| 1960 | 160 |
| 1965 | 150 |
| 1966 | 142 |
| 1967 | 138 |
| 1968 | 138 |
| 1969 | 165 |
| 1970 | 159 |
| 1971 | 177 |
| 1972 | 156 |
| 1973 | 183 |
| 1974 | 119 |
| 1975 | 172 |
| 1976 | 143 |
| 1977 | 177 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 146 |
| 1980 | 137 |
| 1982 | 176 |
| 1983 | 145 |
| 1984 | 147 |
| 1985 | 169 |
| 1988 | 159 |
| 1990 | 160 |
| 1991 | 150 |
| 1992 | 154 |
| 1993 | 158 |
| 1994 | 177 |
| 1996 | 153 |
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1999 | 154 |
| 2000 | 155 |
| 2001 | 151 |
| 2003 | 173 |
| 2004 | 139 |
| 2006 | 163 |
| 2007 | 152 |
| 2008 | 168 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2011 | 134 |
| 2012 | 175 |
| 2013 | 169 |
| 2014 | 173 |
| 2015 | 171 |
| 2016 | 150 |
| 2017 | 163 |
| 2018 | 158 |
| 2019 | 167 |
| 2020 | 142 |
| 2021 | 164 |
| 2022 | 153 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 170 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1959 | 18.9 °C |
| 1960 | 17.8 °C |
| 1963 | 18.2 °C |
| 1965 | 16.6 °C |
| 1966 | 16.7 °C |
| 1967 | 16.5 °C |
| 1968 | 17.4 °C |
| 1969 | 17.6 °C |
| 1970 | 18.1 °C |
| 1971 | 17.6 °C |
| 1972 | 17.0 °C |
| 1973 | 17.6 °C |
| 1974 | 17.1 °C |
| 1975 | 17.2 °C |
| 1976 | 18.8 °C |
| 1977 | 19.0 °C |
| 1978 | 17.7 °C |
| 1979 | 16.1 °C |
| 1980 | 18.0 °C |
| 1982 | 17.3 °C |
| 1983 | 18.2 °C |
| 1990 | 17.6 °C |
| 1991 | 18.0 °C |
| 1992 | 15.4 °C |
| 1993 | 15.5 °C |
| 1994 | 17.1 °C |
| 1996 | 15.5 °C |
| 1997 | 16.1 °C |
| 1999 | 17.3 °C |
| 2000 | 16.9 °C |
| 2001 | 16.9 °C |
| 2002 | 16.4 °C |
| 2003 | 16.3 °C |
| 2004 | 15.5 °C |
| 2007 | 17.7 °C |
| 2008 | 16.3 °C |
| 2009 | 16.1 °C |
| 2010 | 17.9 °C |
| 2011 | 17.2 °C |
| 2012 | 19.6 °C |
| 2013 | 17.2 °C |
| 2014 | 16.7 °C |
| 2015 | 17.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.6 °C |
| 2017 | 17.2 °C |
| 2018 | 17.0 °C |
| 2019 | 17.0 °C |
| 2020 | 17.7 °C |
| 2021 | 18.4 °C |
| 2022 | 18.1 °C |
| 2023 | 17.9 °C |
| 2024 | 17.8 °C |
| 2025 | 17.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1959, Madelia's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 1 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from St James Wwtp (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.