To plant or not to plant; that is the question. The answer will depend on how much you are prepared to risk another freezing morning.
The average date of the final 32-degree temperature of the spring is May 14. But from year to year, there is a wide range of final freeze dates.
In 1969, the temperature in Fargo-Moorhead officially reached 30 degrees on June 20. In 2008, there was no freezing weather after April 17, and in 2008, our final frost came on May 27. So you can see that the average date is not much help here.
We are having one of the warmer springs on record this year, but that is no guarantee there won't be a quick shot of cold weather sometime in May. However, the warm weather trend does suggest that extremely cold weather is not as likely this year. So if you are prepared to weather a little frost risk, and if you don't mind covering your annual plants a time or two if necessary, then go ahead and plant and take advantage of the extra few weeks of good growing weather.
Have a weather question you'd like answered? E-mail weather@wday.com , or write to WDAY Stormtracker, WDAY-TV, Box 2466, Fargo, ND 58108
