Frost Report

All states Montana

Frost dates for Tizer Gardens, 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

June 18

typical year

Safe to plant

July 3

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

September 5

typical year

Growing season

81 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – May 21 – Jun 4 –
Spinach – May 7 – 28 Jul 11 – 25
Lettuce – May 21 – Jun 11 Jul 11 – 25
Radishes – May 21 – Jul 2 Jul 25 – Aug 8
Onions – May 21 – Jun 4 –
Potatoes Season usually too short. Try a quick variety or row covers.
Carrots – May 28 – Jun 18 Jun 13 – 27
Beets – May 21 – Jun 4 Jun 27 – Jul 11
Kale Apr 9 – 23 May 21 – Jun 4 Jun 27 – Jul 11
Broccoli Apr 9 – 23 Jun 4 – 18 Jun 27 – Jul 11
Cabbage Mar 26 – Apr 9 May 21 – Jun 4 Jun 27 – Jul 11
Garlic – – Jul 25 – Aug 15
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 – Jul 3 – 24 –
Zucchini – Jul 3 – 31 –
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 May 29 – Jun 12 Jul 10 – 17 –

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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after July 3June 18May 30
Fall frost before August 21September 5September 18

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 29 (June 19 in a late year), and the first one in fall around September 18.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station TIZER GARDENS, MT US (USC00248239), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 5 miles:

59634, 59638

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.