Frost Report

All states Montana

Frost dates for Winnett, 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 20

typical year

Safe to plant

June 6

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

September 24

typical year

Growing season

126 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 – Apr 22 – May 6 –
Spinach – Apr 8 – 29 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Lettuce – Apr 22 – May 13 Jul 30 – Aug 13
Radishes – Apr 22 – Jun 3 Aug 13 – 27
Onions – Apr 22 – May 6 –
Potatoes – Apr 29 – May 13 –
Carrots – Apr 29 – May 20 Jul 2 – 16
Beets – Apr 22 – May 6 Jul 16 – 30
Kale Mar 11 – 25 Apr 22 – May 6 Jul 16 – 30
Broccoli Mar 11 – 25 May 6 – 20 Jul 16 – 30
Cabbage Feb 25 – Mar 11 Apr 22 – May 6 Jul 16 – 30
Garlic – – Aug 13 – Sep 3
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Apr 11 – 25 Jun 6 – 20 –
Peppers Apr 4 – 18 Jun 13 – 27 –
Cucumbers – Jun 6 – 27 –
Zucchini – Jun 6 – Jul 4 –
Pumpkins – Jun 6 – 27 –
Green beans – Jun 6 – Jul 16 –
Sweet corn – Jun 6 – Jul 4 –
Basil May 2 – 16 Jun 13 – 20 –

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 June 6May 20May 6
Fall frost before September 11September 24October 5

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 6 (May 23 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 2.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.

Winnett, Grass Range

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station GRASS RANGE, MT US (USC00243727), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 17 miles:

59032, 59441

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