When to plant in Wahpeton, ND
Planting dates worked out from Wahpeton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 16
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 6
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 4
1 year in 10 by Sep 22
Frost-free days
146
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Rothsay · 34.3 km away · station 367 m, town 294 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 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 13 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 27 |
| Peas | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | Jun 11 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 23 |
| Beet | — | Apr 24 – Jun 5 | Jun 13 |
| Potato | — | Apr 24 – May 15 | Jul 3 |
| Kale | Mar 13 – Mar 27 | Apr 24 – May 8 | Jun 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jun 16 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 17 – May 8 | Jul 16 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 20 – Oct 18 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 17 – May 15 | May 25 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Wahpeton'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 |
|---|---|
| 1960 | May 10 |
| 1961 | May 16 |
| 1962 | Apr 23 |
| 1963 | May 22 |
| 1964 | Apr 30 |
| 1965 | May 27 |
| 1966 | May 9 |
| 1967 | May 22 |
| 1968 | May 18 |
| 1969 | Jun 20 |
| 1970 | May 27 |
| 1971 | May 26 |
| 1972 | May 7 |
| 1973 | May 16 |
| 1974 | May 15 |
| 1975 | May 15 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1978 | Apr 21 |
| 1979 | May 15 |
| 1980 | May 13 |
| 1981 | May 10 |
| 1982 | May 8 |
| 1983 | May 25 |
| 1985 | May 14 |
| 1986 | May 2 |
| 1987 | Apr 22 |
| 1990 | May 18 |
| 1991 | May 5 |
| 1992 | May 3 |
| 1993 | Apr 26 |
| 1994 | May 7 |
| 1995 | Apr 28 |
| 1996 | May 11 |
| 1997 | May 15 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 23 |
| 2001 | Apr 24 |
| 2002 | May 24 |
| 2003 | Apr 28 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 14 |
| 2006 | Apr 25 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | May 14 |
| 2009 | May 16 |
| 2011 | May 3 |
| 2012 | Apr 17 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | May 16 |
| 2015 | May 19 |
| 2016 | May 14 |
| 2018 | May 10 |
| 2020 | May 12 |
| 2021 | May 7 |
| 2024 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 141 |
| 1961 | 134 |
| 1962 | 148 |
| 1963 | 158 |
| 1964 | 133 |
| 1965 | 119 |
| 1966 | 138 |
| 1967 | 127 |
| 1968 | 137 |
| 1969 | 109 |
| 1970 | 108 |
| 1971 | 114 |
| 1972 | 144 |
| 1973 | 123 |
| 1974 | 108 |
| 1975 | 119 |
| 1976 | 136 |
| 1978 | 168 |
| 1979 | 143 |
| 1980 | 132 |
| 1981 | 140 |
| 1982 | 134 |
| 1983 | 119 |
| 1986 | 159 |
| 1987 | 162 |
| 1990 | 127 |
| 1991 | 143 |
| 1992 | 141 |
| 1993 | 149 |
| 1994 | 169 |
| 1995 | 144 |
| 1996 | 140 |
| 1997 | 150 |
| 1998 | 166 |
| 1999 | 160 |
| 2001 | 163 |
| 2002 | 130 |
| 2004 | 139 |
| 2005 | 144 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 187 |
| 2009 | 145 |
| 2011 | 133 |
| 2012 | 158 |
| 2013 | 153 |
| 2015 | 146 |
| 2016 | 145 |
| 2020 | 144 |
| 2021 | 161 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 16.1 °C |
| 1961 | 15.4 °C |
| 1962 | 15.2 °C |
| 1963 | 16.7 °C |
| 1964 | 16.5 °C |
| 1965 | 14.6 °C |
| 1966 | 15.5 °C |
| 1967 | 15.0 °C |
| 1968 | 15.9 °C |
| 1969 | 16.3 °C |
| 1970 | 16.8 °C |
| 1971 | 16.1 °C |
| 1972 | 15.8 °C |
| 1973 | 16.3 °C |
| 1974 | 15.5 °C |
| 1975 | 16.0 °C |
| 1976 | 18.5 °C |
| 1977 | 17.7 °C |
| 1978 | 16.9 °C |
| 1979 | 15.3 °C |
| 1980 | 17.3 °C |
| 1981 | 16.4 °C |
| 1982 | 16.0 °C |
| 1983 | 17.0 °C |
| 1984 | 16.5 °C |
| 1985 | 15.5 °C |
| 1986 | 15.8 °C |
| 1987 | 17.7 °C |
| 1990 | 16.4 °C |
| 1991 | 17.3 °C |
| 1992 | 14.7 °C |
| 1993 | 14.7 °C |
| 1994 | 16.3 °C |
| 1995 | 16.1 °C |
| 1996 | 15.6 °C |
| 1997 | 15.8 °C |
| 1998 | 17.7 °C |
| 1999 | 16.4 °C |
| 2001 | 16.5 °C |
| 2002 | 15.8 °C |
| 2003 | 16.6 °C |
| 2005 | 16.4 °C |
| 2006 | 17.0 °C |
| 2007 | 15.8 °C |
| 2009 | 14.8 °C |
| 2011 | 15.9 °C |
| 2012 | 17.2 °C |
| 2013 | 15.3 °C |
| 2015 | 16.6 °C |
| 2016 | 16.4 °C |
| 2020 | 15.9 °C |
| 2021 | 17.4 °C |
| 2024 | 17.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1960, Wahpeton's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Rothsay (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.