Your nature year
St. Cloud, Minnesotathrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to St. Cloud?
For a day trip, Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul is 63 miles off; its fall foliage is usually at its best Sep 24–Oct 7. For wildflowers, the nearest is Minnesota Valley Refuge (66 mi, Jun 1–Aug 31 (local timing)). Frost usually lets go around May 7 and comes back around Sep 30, according to the nearest NOAA station, St Cloud Regional Airport: roughly 146 days without it. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. Leaves usually come out around Apr 19 and the first flowers around May 17. Head southeast for the closest of the 4 places we follow around St. Cloud. Across Minnesota, 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 · 63 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Sep 24–Oct 7
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 64°F · Sun Oct 4: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny, 62°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service.
St. Cloud's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 7 to ~Sep 30
- First leaf ~Apr 19
- First bloom ~May 17
- Fall color under way ~Oct 11 (MN)
- Today
Near St. Cloud 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 Sep 30 · last spring frost around May 7NOAA 1991–2020 normals, St Cloud Regional Airport (5.9 mi, 50% dates)~2 days
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 63 mi · usually Sep 24–Oct 7Fall foliage · in its window now
- Chippewa National Forest · 145 mi · usually Sep 17–30Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley Refuge · 66 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
St. Cloud's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostMay
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley RefugeJun–Aug
- First fall frostNowSep
- Fall color (MN)Oct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 63 miusually Sep 24–Oct 7
- Saint Croix Riverway · 74 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
- Chippewa National Forest · 145 miusually Sep 17–30
Wildflowers
- Minnesota Valley Refuge · 66 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Snow in St. Cloud
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 5 (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 St Cloud Regional Airport (5.9 mi away): 48 inches of snow in an average year, about 14.8 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
May 7
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Sep 30
About 146 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 19
First bloom around May 17
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at St Cloud Regional Airport (5.9 mi from St. Cloud), 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 St. Cloud?
On average around Sep 30, and the last spring frost around May 7: about 146 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at St Cloud Regional Airport, 5.9 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach St. Cloud?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 19 and first bloom around May 17, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near St. Cloud?
Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul, 63 miles (usually Sep 24–Oct 7); Saint Croix Riverway, 74 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October); Chippewa National Forest, 145 miles (usually Sep 17–30). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near St. Cloud?
Minnesota Valley Refuge, 66 miles (local timing: Jun 1–Aug 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in St. Cloud?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 5: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at St Cloud Regional Airport. An average year brings 48 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)