When to plant in Fort Belknap Agency, MT
Planting dates worked out from Fort Belknap Agency's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Jun 8
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 17
1 year in 10 by Sep 10
Frost-free days
120
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Harlem · 6.3 km away · station 723 m, town 724 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 13 – Apr 27 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 7 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 20 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 3 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 21 |
| Carrot | — | May 1 – Jun 12 | Jun 30 |
| Beet | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 13 |
| Potato | — | May 1 – May 22 | Jul 10 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jun 23 |
| Cucumber | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Jul 23 |
| Winter squash | May 11 – May 18 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 27 |
| Sweet corn | — | Jun 1 – Jun 22 | Jul 31 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 23 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 3 – Oct 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jun 8 – Jun 22 | Aug 4 |
Fort Belknap Agency'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 |
|---|---|
| 1924 | Jun 5 |
| 1930 | May 23 |
| 1931 | May 20 |
| 1932 | May 28 |
| 1933 | May 20 |
| 1934 | May 13 |
| 1935 | Jun 6 |
| 1936 | May 18 |
| 1937 | Jun 9 |
| 1938 | May 20 |
| 1940 | May 18 |
| 1941 | May 10 |
| 1942 | May 16 |
| 1943 | May 19 |
| 1944 | May 25 |
| 1945 | May 21 |
| 1946 | May 11 |
| 1947 | May 29 |
| 1949 | Jun 18 |
| 1950 | May 25 |
| 1951 | Jun 3 |
| 1952 | May 28 |
| 1953 | May 15 |
| 1954 | May 24 |
| 1955 | May 7 |
| 1956 | Jun 30 |
| 1957 | May 23 |
| 1958 | May 14 |
| 1959 | May 15 |
| 1960 | Jun 5 |
| 1961 | May 6 |
| 1962 | May 8 |
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | May 26 |
| 1965 | May 21 |
| 1966 | May 19 |
| 1967 | May 16 |
| 1968 | May 20 |
| 1969 | Jun 13 |
| 1970 | May 13 |
| 1971 | May 18 |
| 1972 | May 6 |
| 1974 | May 23 |
| 1975 | May 29 |
| 1979 | Jun 1 |
| 1982 | Jun 1 |
| 1983 | May 31 |
| 1984 | May 28 |
| 1986 | May 16 |
| 1988 | May 20 |
| 1989 | May 5 |
| 1990 | May 17 |
| 1991 | May 27 |
| 1992 | Jun 6 |
| 1994 | May 4 |
| 1995 | May 26 |
| 1996 | May 11 |
| 1997 | May 12 |
| 1998 | Jun 3 |
| 1999 | May 17 |
| 2000 | May 24 |
| 2001 | May 8 |
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | Jun 18 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | May 14 |
| 2007 | May 7 |
| 2008 | Jun 11 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 98 |
| 1930 | 100 |
| 1931 | 116 |
| 1932 | 97 |
| 1933 | 127 |
| 1934 | 123 |
| 1935 | 80 |
| 1936 | 114 |
| 1937 | 106 |
| 1938 | 145 |
| 1940 | 140 |
| 1941 | 121 |
| 1942 | 124 |
| 1943 | 106 |
| 1944 | 112 |
| 1945 | 111 |
| 1946 | 134 |
| 1947 | 112 |
| 1950 | 85 |
| 1952 | 94 |
| 1953 | 128 |
| 1954 | 129 |
| 1955 | 125 |
| 1956 | 66 |
| 1957 | 117 |
| 1958 | 134 |
| 1959 | 109 |
| 1960 | 94 |
| 1961 | 129 |
| 1962 | 117 |
| 1963 | 117 |
| 1964 | 108 |
| 1965 | 111 |
| 1966 | 142 |
| 1967 | 149 |
| 1968 | 119 |
| 1970 | 121 |
| 1971 | 122 |
| 1972 | 137 |
| 1975 | 105 |
| 1979 | 103 |
| 1982 | 107 |
| 1983 | 109 |
| 1984 | 108 |
| 1986 | 113 |
| 1988 | 110 |
| 1989 | 127 |
| 1990 | 126 |
| 1991 | 113 |
| 1992 | 79 |
| 1994 | 140 |
| 1995 | 115 |
| 1996 | 133 |
| 1997 | 129 |
| 1998 | 123 |
| 1999 | 118 |
| 2000 | 109 |
| 2001 | 147 |
| 2002 | 121 |
| 2003 | 116 |
| 2004 | 94 |
| 2005 | 120 |
| 2006 | 125 |
| 2007 | 128 |
| 2008 | 88 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1924 | 13.7 °C |
| 1930 | 16.4 °C |
| 1931 | 15.7 °C |
| 1932 | 15.1 °C |
| 1934 | 14.5 °C |
| 1935 | 13.5 °C |
| 1936 | 15.9 °C |
| 1937 | 15.1 °C |
| 1938 | 15.7 °C |
| 1939 | 15.7 °C |
| 1940 | 15.9 °C |
| 1941 | 15.6 °C |
| 1942 | 14.5 °C |
| 1943 | 13.8 °C |
| 1944 | 14.1 °C |
| 1945 | 14.1 °C |
| 1946 | 15.6 °C |
| 1947 | 15.7 °C |
| 1949 | 16.3 °C |
| 1950 | 14.1 °C |
| 1951 | 13.2 °C |
| 1952 | 15.9 °C |
| 1953 | 14.8 °C |
| 1954 | 13.9 °C |
| 1955 | 14.4 °C |
| 1956 | 14.9 °C |
| 1957 | 15.6 °C |
| 1958 | 15.5 °C |
| 1959 | 14.5 °C |
| 1960 | 15.3 °C |
| 1961 | 15.9 °C |
| 1962 | 14.6 °C |
| 1963 | 15.4 °C |
| 1964 | 15.0 °C |
| 1965 | 13.8 °C |
| 1966 | 15.6 °C |
| 1967 | 15.0 °C |
| 1968 | 14.4 °C |
| 1969 | 14.8 °C |
| 1970 | 16.1 °C |
| 1971 | 16.3 °C |
| 1972 | 15.7 °C |
| 1974 | 14.9 °C |
| 1975 | 13.6 °C |
| 1977 | 15.1 °C |
| 1979 | 15.5 °C |
| 1982 | 13.8 °C |
| 1983 | 15.0 °C |
| 1984 | 15.7 °C |
| 1986 | 14.7 °C |
| 1989 | 15.3 °C |
| 1990 | 16.1 °C |
| 1991 | 16.1 °C |
| 1992 | 14.9 °C |
| 1993 | 14.0 °C |
| 1994 | 16.3 °C |
| 1995 | 14.4 °C |
| 1996 | 14.9 °C |
| 2008 | 14.6 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1924, Fort Belknap Agency'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 Harlem (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.