Your nature year
Mankato, Minnesotathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Mankato?
The town is about 1,005 feet above sea level. Leaves usually come out around Apr 15 and the first flowers around May 12. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. At the Mankato weather station (2.5 mi), the average first fall frost is Oct 9 and the last spring frost Apr 30, which leaves Mankato some 162 growing days. For a day trip, Minnesota Valley Refuge is 59 miles off; its wildflowers is Jun 1–Aug 31 (local timing). Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul (64 mi) is the pick for fall foliage, usually Sep 24–Oct 7. Within 150 miles we follow 3 places, out to Saint Croix Riverway 109 miles to the northeast. Statewide, Minnesota's fall color is usually well under way by mid-October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Best this weekend nearby
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 64 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Sep 24–Oct 7
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 65°F · Sun Oct 4: Sunny, 61°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Mankato's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 30 to ~Oct 9
- First leaf ~Apr 15
- First bloom ~May 12
- Fall color under way ~Oct 11 (MN)
- Today
Near Mankato right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by mid-October in MinnesotaStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~13 days
- First fall frost usually around Oct 9 · last spring frost around Apr 30NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Mankato (2.5 mi, 50% dates)~11 days
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 64 mi · usually Sep 24–Oct 7Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley Refuge · 59 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Mankato's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley RefugeJun–Aug
- Fall color (MN)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 64 miusually Sep 24–Oct 7
- Saint Croix Riverway · 109 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
Wildflowers
- Minnesota Valley Refuge · 59 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Snow in Mankato
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 22 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Mankato (2.5 mi away): 39 inches of snow in an average year, about 13.2 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 30
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 9
About 162 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 15
First bloom around May 12
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Mankato (2.5 mi from Mankato), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Mankato?
On average around Oct 9, and the last spring frost around Apr 30: about 162 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Mankato, 2.5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Mankato?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 15 and first bloom around May 12, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Mankato?
Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul, 64 miles (usually Sep 24–Oct 7); Saint Croix Riverway, 109 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Mankato?
Minnesota Valley Refuge, 59 miles (local timing: Jun 1–Aug 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Mankato?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 22: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Mankato. An average year brings 39 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)