When to plant in Libby, MT
Planting dates worked out from Libby's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 24
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 14
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Sep 20
1 year in 10 by Sep 9
Frost-free days
124
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Libby Montana · 1.0 km away · station 631 m, town 639 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 29 – Apr 12 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 18 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 23 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 12 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 26 |
| Peas | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 29 |
| Bush beans | — | May 17 – Jun 7 | Jul 6 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 23 – Jun 4 | Jun 22 |
| Beet | — | Apr 18 – May 30 | Jun 7 |
| Potato | — | Apr 23 – May 14 | Jul 2 |
| Kale | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – Apr 30 | May 29 |
| Broccoli | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jun 15 |
| Cucumber | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 13 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 8 |
| Winter squash | Apr 26 – May 3 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Aug 12 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 17 – Jun 7 | Jul 16 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 16 – May 7 | Jul 15 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 6 – Oct 4 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 12 |
| Basil | Apr 12 – Apr 26 | May 24 – Jun 7 | Jul 20 |
Libby'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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | May 23 |
| 2003 | May 20 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 24 |
| 2006 | May 14 |
| 2007 | May 6 |
| 2008 | May 10 |
| 2009 | Jun 7 |
| 2010 | May 24 |
| 2011 | May 19 |
| 2012 | May 13 |
| 2013 | May 15 |
| 2014 | May 13 |
| 2015 | May 18 |
| 2016 | Apr 19 |
| 2017 | May 15 |
| 2018 | Apr 26 |
| 2019 | May 4 |
| 2020 | May 11 |
| 2021 | May 19 |
| 2022 | May 22 |
| 2023 | Apr 28 |
| 2024 | May 31 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 120 |
| 2003 | 115 |
| 2004 | 128 |
| 2005 | 119 |
| 2006 | 123 |
| 2007 | 125 |
| 2008 | 150 |
| 2009 | 105 |
| 2010 | 140 |
| 2011 | 132 |
| 2013 | 140 |
| 2014 | 120 |
| 2015 | 121 |
| 2016 | 146 |
| 2017 | 123 |
| 2018 | 145 |
| 2019 | 146 |
| 2020 | 119 |
| 2021 | 120 |
| 2022 | 143 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 112 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 14.7 °C |
| 2003 | 16.1 °C |
| 2004 | 15.4 °C |
| 2005 | 15.0 °C |
| 2006 | 16.4 °C |
| 2007 | 16.2 °C |
| 2008 | 14.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.8 °C |
| 2010 | 14.4 °C |
| 2011 | 14.5 °C |
| 2012 | 15.3 °C |
| 2013 | 15.9 °C |
| 2014 | 15.5 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 16.0 °C |
| 2017 | 16.1 °C |
| 2018 | 15.4 °C |
| 2019 | 15.3 °C |
| 2020 | 15.4 °C |
| 2021 | 16.4 °C |
| 2022 | 15.4 °C |
| 2023 | 16.9 °C |
| 2024 | 16.0 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Libby Montana (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.