Frost dates for McGrath, AK
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
May 13
typical year
Safe to plant
May 28
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
September 13
typical year
Growing season
120 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Apr 15 – 29 | – |
| Spinach | – | Apr 1 – 22 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Lettuce | – | Apr 15 – May 6 | Jul 19 – Aug 2 |
| Radishes | – | Apr 15 – May 27 | Aug 2 – 16 |
| Onions | – | Apr 15 – 29 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 22 – May 6 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 22 – May 13 | Jun 21 – Jul 5 |
| Beets | – | Apr 15 – 29 | Jul 5 – 19 |
| Kale | Mar 4 – 18 | Apr 15 – 29 | Jul 5 – 19 |
| Broccoli | Mar 4 – 18 | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jul 5 – 19 |
| Cabbage | Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Apr 15 – 29 | Jul 5 – 19 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 2 – 23 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 2 – 16 | May 28 – Jun 11 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 26 – Apr 9 | Jun 4 – 18 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 28 – Jun 18 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 28 – Jun 25 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 28 – Jun 18 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 28 – Jul 5 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 28 – Jun 25 | – |
| Basil | Apr 23 – May 7 | Jun 4 – 11 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | May 28 | May 13 | May 4 |
| Fall frost before | August 27 | September 13 | September 27 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around May 4 (May 18 in a late year), and the first one in fall around September 25.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.
McGrath, Nikolai
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MCGRATH AP, AK US (USW00026510), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 113 miles:
99503, 99575, 99627, 99656, 99668, 99675
5 of these zip codes are more than 30 miles from the station, so their real frost dates may differ by a week or more.
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.