Stanley, ID frost dates

Gardening where frost is possible all year

The weather station nearest Stanley, ID records freezing temperatures in every month often enough that NOAA cannot define a frost-free season. Gardening is still possible — it just means planning for frost at any time:

• Grow fast, cold-tolerant crops: Radishes, Lettuce, Spinach, Kale, Peas, Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Garlic.
• Plant once the soil can be worked — usually late spring to early summer at high elevation — and keep row covers ready for clear, still nights.
• Use season extension: cold frames, low tunnels, wall-of-water cloches or a greenhouse turn a few frost-free weeks into a real season.
• Frost-tender crops (tomatoes, squash, beans) need protection all season; choose the earliest varieties you can find.

About these dates

Based on 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals for the Stanley, ID weather station, 18 km away (elevation 6,250 ft (1,905 m)).

Frost dates near Stanley

• Clayton May 14 · Sep 25
• Challis May 14 · Sep 25
• Lowman Jun 6 · Sep 4
• Atlanta Jun 6 · Sep 4
• Cascade frost any month
• Ellis Jun 12 · Sep 6
• May Jun 12 · Sep 6
• Garden Valley Jun 1 · Sep 10
• Ketchum frost any month
• Yellow Pine Jun 12 · Sep 11

Frequently asked questions

When is the last frost in Stanley, ID?

Stanley, ID can freeze in any month, so there is no reliable last frost date. The nearest NOAA station averages 294 nights a year at or below 32°F.

What can I grow in Stanley, ID?

Fast, cold-tolerant crops such as radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas and potatoes, ideally under row covers, cold frames or a greenhouse. Frost-tender crops like tomatoes need protection all season.