Brooklyn Park, Minnesota: planting zone & frost dates
Brooklyn Park is in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a, where the average coldest winter night reaches -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C). The typical last spring frost is around May 6 and the first fall frost around Oct 2.
Frost dates
| Probability | Last spring frost (32°F) | First fall frost (32°F) |
|---|---|---|
| Safer (10% risk) | May 17 | Sep 26 |
| Typical planning date (30% risk) | May 6 | Oct 2 |
| Median (50%) | Apr 30 | Oct 8 |
How to read this: after the spring "10% risk" date, a 32°F frost happens in only about 1 year in 10. In fall, the "10% risk" date is the early end — a frost before it happens about 1 year in 10.
Frost data comes from NOAA station MPLS CRYSTAL AP, MN (USW00094960), 3.4 mi (5.5 km) from the city center and 7 ft lower than the city center (-2 m). Record used for the 1991–2020 normals: 23 years.
Why your yard may differ from the station: microclimates.
Hardiness zone across Brooklyn Park
All 5 ZIP codes covering Brooklyn Park are in zone 5a.
Vegetable planting calendar for Brooklyn Park
Dates are counted from the 30%-risk frost dates above (last frost May 6, first frost Oct 2). Shift a week later in cold spots or low-lying ground.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant out | Direct sow | Fall crop sow/plant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 13 – May 27 | — | — |
| Pepper | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Lettuce | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Apr 22 – May 13 | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jul 24 – Aug 21 |
| Green Beans | — | — | May 13 – Jun 17 | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Sweet Corn | — | — | May 13 – Jun 10 | — |
| Zucchini & Summer Squash | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Cucumber | Apr 8 – Apr 15 | May 20 – May 27 | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Carrot | — | — | Apr 15 – May 20 | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Onion | Feb 11 – Feb 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | — |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Basil | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | May 20 – Jun 10 | — |
| Spinach | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Aug 7 – Sep 4 |
| Kale | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 24 – Aug 21 |
| Broccoli | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 22 – May 13 | — | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Peas | — | — | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Jul 24 – Aug 7 |
| Eggplant | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | May 20 – Jun 3 | — | — |
| Cabbage | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | — | Jul 10 – Jul 24 |
| Radish | — | — | Apr 1 – May 20 | Aug 21 – Sep 18 |
| Strawberry | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | — | — |
| Beets | — | — | Apr 15 – May 27 | Jul 24 – Aug 7 |
Nearby cities in Minnesota
- Plymouth — zone 5a, last frost May 4, first frost Oct 5
- Minneapolis — zone 5a, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 10
- Bloomington — zone 5a, last frost Apr 30, first frost Oct 11
- St. Paul — zone 5a, last frost May 1, first frost Oct 7
- Lakeville — zone 4b, last frost May 2, first frost Oct 4
- Woodbury — zone 5a, last frost May 1, first frost Oct 5
More: all Minnesota cities · other zone 5a cities: Minneapolis, MN, St. Paul, MN, Anchorage, AK, Sioux Falls, SD, Cedar Rapids, IA, Billings, MT, Bloomington, MN, Sioux City, IA
Brooklyn Park gardening questions
When is the last frost in Brooklyn Park, MN?
Plan around May 6. At NOAA's Mpls Crystal Airport, MN station, 3.4 mi from the city center, there is a 30% chance of a 32°F frost after that date. Half of springs have their last frost by Apr 30, and after May 17 the risk drops to about 1 in 10. A hard freeze (28°F) usually ends earlier, around Apr 20. The 90% and 10% dates are 30 days apart, close to the 36-day median for cities on this site.
When should I plant tomatoes in Brooklyn Park, MN?
Start seeds indoors Mar 11 – Mar 25 and set transplants outside May 13 – May 27, once nights stay above 50°F and the soil is near 60°F. That leaves 149 days between the 30% frost dates, enough for most varieties including 80–85-day slicers. More: tomato planting dates by zone.
How long is the growing season in Brooklyn Park?
About 159 days without a 32°F frost in a typical (median) year. In 9 years out of 10 the season lasts at least 139 days, and in 1 year in 10 it runs 177 days or more. In fall there is a 10% chance of frost by Sep 26 and a 30% chance by Oct 2. That ranks 8th longest of 9 Minnesota cities on this site.
When should I plant a fall garden in Brooklyn Park?
Count back from the first fall frost (Oct 2): transplant broccoli Jul 10 – Jul 24; sow kale Jul 24 – Aug 21; sow lettuce Jul 24 – Aug 21; sow radishes Aug 21 – Sep 18. Hardy crops keep growing through light frosts; the median 28°F hard freeze here is Oct 18. How the math works: succession and fall planting.
Did Brooklyn Park's hardiness zone change on the 2023 map?
Yes. Most of Brooklyn Park was zone 4b on the 2012 map and is zone 5a on the 2023 map — half a zone warmer, like about 56% of U.S. ZIP codes. The shift comes from a newer 1991–2020 averaging period plus more weather stations and better mapping; it does not mean last frost comes earlier. Why the 2023 map is warmer.
How does Brooklyn Park compare with Plymouth, MN?
Both are in zone 5a. The typical last spring frost in Brooklyn Park (May 6) comes about the same time as in Plymouth, MN (May 4), 8 miles away, and the first fall frost is Oct 2 versus Oct 5. The two cities use different NOAA stations.