Frost dates for Stanford, MT
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 25
typical year
Safe to plant
June 15
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
September 21
typical year
Growing season
118 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 27 – May 11 | – |
| Spinach | – | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Lettuce | – | Apr 27 – May 18 | Jul 27 – Aug 10 |
| Radishes | – | Apr 27 – Jun 8 | Aug 10 – 24 |
| Onions | – | Apr 27 – May 11 | – |
| Potatoes | – | May 4 – 18 | – |
| Carrots | – | May 4 – 25 | Jun 29 – Jul 13 |
| Beets | – | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jul 13 – 27 |
| Kale | Mar 16 – 30 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jul 13 – 27 |
| Broccoli | Mar 16 – 30 | May 11 – 25 | Jul 13 – 27 |
| Cabbage | Mar 2 – 16 | Apr 27 – May 11 | Jul 13 – 27 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 10 – 31 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 20 – May 4 | Jun 15 – 29 | – |
| Peppers | Apr 13 – 27 | Jun 22 – Jul 6 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jun 15 – Jul 6 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jun 15 – Jul 13 | – |
| Pumpkins | Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers. | ||
| Green beans | – | Jun 15 – Jul 13 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jun 15 – Jul 13 | – |
| Basil | May 11 – 25 | Jun 22 – 29 | – |
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 15 | May 25 | May 10 |
| Fall frost before | September 6 | September 21 | October 3 |
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 10 (May 25 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 1.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 1 town.
Stanford
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station STANFORD, MT US (USC00247864), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 1 zip code, all within 9 miles:
59479
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.