Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 56303
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 56303 in zone 4b (the coldest night of a typical year: -25 to -20°F).
The nearest station, St. Cloud, MN, is 8 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after May 7 in half of years and after May 23 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 4a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Cloud, MNSt. Cloud Regional Airport | 8 mi | 1,018 ft | May 7 | May 23 | September 30 | 4a |
| Collegeville St John's, MN | 9 mi | 1,210 ft | May 3 | May 17 | October 7 | 4b |
| Rice, MN | 13 mi | 1,060 ft | May 10 | May 22 | September 29 | – |
| Kimball, MN3 mi N | 16 mi | 1,160 ft | May 2 | May 15 | October 5 | – |
| Santiago (3 mi E), MN | 22 mi | 1,010 ft | May 7 | May 22 | September 28 | 4b |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at St. Cloud
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | June 1 | May 24 | May 18 | May 4 | September 22 | September 8 |
| 32°F | May 23 | May 13 | May 7 | April 24 | September 30 | September 16 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | May 11 | May 2 | April 27 | April 12 | October 8 | September 25 |
| 24°F | April 30 | April 22 | April 15 | April 3 | October 21 | October 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.