Frost dates in Sioux Falls, South Dakota

NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.

Short answer

The average last spring frost in Sioux Falls is May 1, and the average first fall frost is October 6, from NOAA's Sioux Falls station, 3 miles from the middle of Sioux Falls. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 14, and the first one by September 23. That leaves about 158 frost-free days. Sioux Falls is in USDA planting zone 5a.

Weather stations around Sioux Falls

The first row is the date most people in Sioux Falls go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
Sioux Falls 3 mi away, 1,430 ft	May 1 1 in 10 after May 14	October 6 1 in 10 by September 23	158 days
Sioux Falls Wfo Airport 3 mi away, 1,430 ft	April 26 1 in 10 after May 9	October 13 1 in 10 by September 28	170 days
Sioux Falls 14 NNE 14 mi away, 1,594 ft	May 1 1 in 10 after May 15	October 4 1 in 10 by September 21	156 days
Canton 17 mi away, 1,316 ft	May 2 1 in 10 after May 15	October 2 1 in 10 by September 19	153 days
Rock Rapids 29 mi away, 1,350 ft	May 1 1 in 10 after May 13	October 4 1 in 10 by September 21	156 days

Distances are from the middle of Sioux Falls as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 57117, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Sioux Falls covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.

How these dates work

Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.

The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.

More frost dates

All of South Dakota, station by station.

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