Frost dates for Mckinley Park, 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
June 6
typical year
Safe to plant
June 30
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
August 25
typical year
Growing season
77 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 | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Spinach | – | Apr 25 – May 16 | Jun 30 – Jul 14 |
| Lettuce | – | May 9 – 30 | Jun 30 – Jul 14 |
| Radishes | – | May 9 – Jun 20 | Jul 14 – 28 |
| Onions | – | May 9 – 23 | – |
| Potatoes | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Carrots | – | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jun 2 – 16 |
| Beets | – | May 9 – 23 | Jun 16 – 30 |
| Kale | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 9 – 23 | Jun 16 – 30 |
| Broccoli | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jun 16 – 30 |
| Cabbage | Mar 14 – 28 | May 9 – 23 | Jun 16 – 30 |
| Garlic | – | – | Jul 14 – Aug 4 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Peppers | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Cucumbers | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Zucchini | – | Jun 30 – Jul 28 | – |
| Pumpkins | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Green beans | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Sweet corn | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Basil | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
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 | June 30 | June 6 | May 22 |
| Fall frost before | August 9 | August 25 | September 8 |
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 21 (June 4 in a late year), and the first one in fall around September 6.
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MCKINLEY PARK, AK US (USC00505778), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 45 miles:
99729, 99755
1 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.