When to plant in Elwood, UT
Planting dates worked out from Elwood's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 12
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
168
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Cutler Dam · 17.3 km away · station 1308 m, town 1310 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 17 – Mar 31 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 6 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 3 – Mar 17 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 11 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | May 14 |
| Bush beans | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jun 24 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 9 – May 21 | Jun 8 |
| Beet | — | Apr 4 – May 16 | May 24 |
| Potato | — | Apr 9 – Apr 30 | Jun 18 |
| Kale | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 15 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| Cucumber | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 1 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jun 26 |
| Winter squash | Apr 14 – Apr 21 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 31 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 5 – May 26 | Jul 4 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 20 – Apr 17 | Apr 27 |
| Basil | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 12 – May 26 | Jul 8 |
Elwood'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 |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Apr 21 |
| 1983 | May 20 |
| 1984 | May 6 |
| 1985 | Apr 24 |
| 1986 | May 22 |
| 1987 | Apr 20 |
| 1988 | May 6 |
| 1989 | May 19 |
| 1990 | May 27 |
| 1991 | May 3 |
| 1992 | Apr 24 |
| 1993 | Apr 12 |
| 1994 | Apr 29 |
| 1995 | Apr 23 |
| 1996 | Apr 29 |
| 1997 | May 2 |
| 1999 | May 11 |
| 2000 | May 12 |
| 2001 | May 2 |
| 2002 | May 9 |
| 2003 | Apr 8 |
| 2004 | May 12 |
| 2005 | Apr 14 |
| 2006 | Apr 19 |
| 2007 | May 21 |
| 2008 | May 13 |
| 2010 | May 7 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 28 |
| 2013 | May 2 |
| 2014 | Apr 29 |
| 2015 | Apr 16 |
| 2016 | Apr 6 |
| 2017 | May 18 |
| 2018 | May 3 |
| 2019 | May 3 |
| 2020 | Apr 19 |
| 2021 | Apr 21 |
| 2022 | May 20 |
| 2024 | May 9 |
| 2025 | Apr 20 |
| 2026 | Apr 28 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 167 |
| 1983 | 171 |
| 1984 | 141 |
| 1985 | 156 |
| 1986 | 127 |
| 1987 | 202 |
| 1988 | 184 |
| 1989 | 161 |
| 1990 | 133 |
| 1991 | 173 |
| 1992 | 173 |
| 1993 | 199 |
| 1994 | 182 |
| 1995 | 167 |
| 1996 | 170 |
| 1997 | 163 |
| 1999 | 158 |
| 2000 | 134 |
| 2001 | 160 |
| 2002 | 156 |
| 2003 | 201 |
| 2004 | 146 |
| 2005 | 199 |
| 2006 | 181 |
| 2007 | 133 |
| 2008 | 149 |
| 2010 | 171 |
| 2011 | 174 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 155 |
| 2014 | 180 |
| 2015 | 196 |
| 2016 | 229 |
| 2017 | 143 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 151 |
| 2020 | 179 |
| 2021 | 174 |
| 2022 | 153 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 190 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1981 | 19.2 °C |
| 1982 | 16.8 °C |
| 1983 | 17.1 °C |
| 1984 | 16.9 °C |
| 1985 | 18.1 °C |
| 1986 | 16.9 °C |
| 1987 | 18.3 °C |
| 1988 | 19.2 °C |
| 1989 | 18.6 °C |
| 1990 | 19.1 °C |
| 1991 | 17.4 °C |
| 1992 | 19.2 °C |
| 1993 | 16.6 °C |
| 1994 | 19.6 °C |
| 1995 | 17.0 °C |
| 1996 | 17.9 °C |
| 1997 | 18.5 °C |
| 1999 | 17.8 °C |
| 2000 | 19.9 °C |
| 2001 | 19.9 °C |
| 2002 | 19.3 °C |
| 2003 | 20.3 °C |
| 2004 | 19.8 °C |
| 2005 | 18.8 °C |
| 2006 | 18.6 °C |
| 2008 | 17.2 °C |
| 2010 | 16.4 °C |
| 2011 | 16.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.7 °C |
| 2013 | 18.2 °C |
| 2014 | 17.8 °C |
| 2015 | 18.3 °C |
| 2016 | 17.9 °C |
| 2017 | 17.8 °C |
| 2018 | 19.0 °C |
| 2019 | 17.4 °C |
| 2020 | 17.8 °C |
| 2021 | 18.6 °C |
| 2022 | 17.8 °C |
| 2023 | 17.6 °C |
| 2024 | 18.4 °C |
| 2025 | 18.9 °C |
| 2026 | 18.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1982, Elwood's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Cutler Dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.