When to plant in North Lakes, AK
USDA Zone 5aNorth Lakes, Alaska frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.
In zone 5a, North Lakes gardeners can grow many hardy perennials, while the last and first frost still dictate the annual vegetable calendar.
The average last spring frost in North Lakes is now 5 days earlier than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →
Frost probability
ANDERSON LAKE · 1991–2020The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are North Lakes’s own odds, recorded at ANDERSON LAKE.
| Threshold | SPRING 10% | SPRING 50% | SPRING 90% | FALL 10% | FALL 50% | FALL 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 10 | Jun 1 | May 19 | Aug 28 | Sep 10 | Sep 23 |
| 32°F | May 31 | May 16 | May 1 | Sep 8 | Sep 23 | Oct 5 |
| 28°F | May 16 | May 1 | Apr 15 | Sep 19 | Oct 3 | Oct 18 |
Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.
What to plant now
TODAY · JULY 19Full-year planting calendar
Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in North Lakes, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.
Nearby weather stations
3 within 10 km · complete 32°F normalsWhen stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.
North Lakes planting FAQ
When is the last spring frost in North Lakes, AK?
Plan for the last spring frost in North Lakes around May 16 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.
When is the first fall frost in North Lakes, AK?
In North Lakes, the first 32°F freeze of fall lands around September 23 on average. Time your last harvests and any season-extension cover before it.
What hardiness zone is North Lakes in?
North Lakes is in USDA hardiness zone 5a. In zone 5a, winters are cold — pick cold-hardy varieties and protect tender crops.
How long is the growing season in North Lakes?
North Lakes has about 130 frost-free days — a short growing season — between the average last spring frost (May 16) and first fall frost (September 23).
When should I plant tomatoes in North Lakes?
For North Lakes, sow tomatoes indoors about March 21–April 4 and move the seedlings out around May 23, after the last spring frost.
Never miss a window in North Lakes
An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to North Lakes’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.
Nearby cities
8 within reach- Knik-Fairview · 21 km
- Anchorage · 49 km
- Badger · 367 km
- Fairbanks · 367 km
- College · 369 km
- Juneau city and · 913 km
- Birch Bay · 2169 km
- Lynden · 2181 km
Frost dates recorded at ANDERSON LAKE, 2 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in North Lakes, AK — Frost Dates & Zone 5a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00500302. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/alaska/north-lakes.