Frost dates · USDA zone 5a
Frost dates for Anchorage, AK
Anchorage, AK sees its last 32 °F night of spring around May 21 and its first of fall around September 15 — a 116-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | May 8 | Sep 27 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | May 21 | Sep 15 |
| 1 year in 10 | Jun 3 | Aug 31 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 116 days median, at least 96 in 9 years of 10, at least 135 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of May 5 and first of Sep 26.
Anchorage planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (May 21) and median first frost (Sep 15) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Feb 26 | Apr 23 | Aug 11 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | May 21 | Jun 20 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | May 7 | May 7 | Jun 21 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Apr 23 | Jun 4 | Aug 3 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 26 | May 28 | Aug 11 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Mar 12 | Jun 4 | Sep 7 tight | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 26 | May 28 | Aug 11 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 26 | May 28 | Aug 16 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 26 | May 28 | Aug 16 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | May 7 | May 7 | Jul 16 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Apr 9 | May 28 | Aug 6 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Apr 9 | May 28 | Aug 11 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Apr 9 | May 28 | Aug 16 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Anchorage grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Anchorage container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Anchorage frost questions
When is the last frost in Anchorage, AK?
The median last 32 °F freeze at EAGLE RVR 5 SE, AK is May 21: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after June 3; nine years in ten, it comes after May 8. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Anchorage, AK?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is September 15. One year in ten it arrives before August 31; nine years in ten, before September 27.
How long is the growing season in Anchorage, AK?
116 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 96 days; one year in ten, at least 135 days.
What growing zone is Anchorage, AK?
USDA hardiness zone 5a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 99577. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Anchorage, AK?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Apr 9 and transplant around May 28, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Jun 3. First ripe fruit lands around Aug 11.
When should I plant peppers in Anchorage, AK?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 26; transplant no earlier than May 28, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Aug 11.
Nearby in Alaska
All Alaska frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →