Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 99757 — Lake Minchumina, AK

ZIP code 99757 (Lake Minchumina, Yukon-Koyukuk (CA) County) is in USDA zone 2b: the coldest winter night averages −45 to −40 °F. The median last spring frost is May 13 and the first fall frost September 17.

Where ZIP 99757 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone2b−45 to −40 °F
Coldest night−42.8 to −40 °C
Last frostMay 13
First frostSep 17
2012 zone2b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 2b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Lake Minchumina, AK…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Lake Minchumina, AK

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostMay 13median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 28only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostSeptember 17median — 10% chance by Sep 3
Growing season124 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around May 5 and returns around September 26.

From the NOAA station Minchumina, AK — 9 miles away, elevation 1,024 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 99757

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Apr 1 – Apr 15
SpinachSow outdoors · Apr 1 – Apr 22
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Mar 4 – Mar 18
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 22 – May 6
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Apr 15 – Apr 29
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 22 – May 6
LettuceSow outdoors · Apr 15 – Apr 29
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 22 – May 6
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 18 – Apr 1
TomatoesTransplant · May 20 – Jun 3
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Mar 4 – Mar 18
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 27 – Jun 10
BeansSow outdoors · May 20 – Jun 3
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 20 – Jun 3
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 20 – Jun 3
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Jul 23 – Aug 6
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 3 – Oct 8
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (May 13) and first fall frost (Sep 17) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

Native plants for zone 2b in Alaska

45 plants native to Alaska, recorded in Alaska, and rated by the USDA to survive −45 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 2b. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 8

balsam poplar80 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −79 °Fblack spruce65 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −79 °Flodgepole pine99 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −70 °Fpaper birch70 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Fquaking aspen65 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −70 °Fsubalpine fir90 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −51 °F

Shrubs 17

alpine bearberry0.5 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °Fblack hawthorn15 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −47 °Fhalberd willow3 ft · blooms early summer · to −62 °FLapland rosebay3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −62 °Flingonberry0.5 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FMacKenzie's willow45 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to −50 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 12

alpine sweetvetch2 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic dock1 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic lupine2 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic poppy1.5 ft · blooms summer · low shade tolerance · to −54 °Farctic raspberry1 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Feightpetal mountain-avens0.3 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °F

Grasses 6

arctic bluegrass2 ft · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FHoppner's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °Flargeflower speargrass2 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °Flivid sedge1 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FLyngbye's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °FRamensk's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Lake Minchumina, AK.

Soil in Lake Minchumina, AK

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 99757 is E29-boreal taiga-silty frozen loess slopes — peat, poorly drained.

TexturePeattop layer
DrainagePoorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter75%high
Hydrologic groupDwater soaks in very slowly
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Interior Alaska Lowlands-Boreal Upland-Loess Plains and Hills.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 99757; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Lake Minchumina, AK

Summer high69 °Faverage high, July
Winter low−10 °Faverage low, January
Hot days0days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights221nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days774base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day20 h 51 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day4 h 19 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation14.5 inper year, rain and melted snow
Snowfall54 inper year

Average high and low, by month

−20°−10°0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°32 °FJanuary: average high 3 °F, low -10 °F 3°−10° JanFebruary: average high 10 °F, low -5 °F 10°−5° FebMarch: average high 21 °F, low 1 °F 21°1° MarApril: average high 41 °F, low 20 °F 41°20° AprMay: average high 57 °F, low 37 °F 57°37° MayJune: average high 68 °F, low 48 °F 68°48° JunJuly: average high 69 °F, low 51 °F 69°51° JulAugust: average high 63 °F, low 46 °F 63°46° AugSeptember: average high 51 °F, low 37 °F 51°37° SepOctober: average high 32 °F, low 21 °F 32°21° OctNovember: average high 13 °F, low 1 °F 13°1° NovDecember: average high 5 °F, low -7 °F 5°−7° Dec

Precipitation by month inches · ❄ = snowfall

0″1″2″3″4″January: 0.66 in precipitation, 8.2 in snowfall 0.7❄8 JanFebruary: 0.51 in precipitation, 6.7 in snowfall 0.5❄7 FebMarch: 0.35 in precipitation, 3.4 in snowfall 0.3❄3 MarApril: 0.31 in precipitation, 3.7 in snowfall 0.3❄4 AprMay: 0.64 in precipitation, 0.7 in snowfall 0.6❄1 MayJune: 2.21 in precipitation 2.2 JunJuly: 2.64 in precipitation 2.6 JulAugust: 3.15 in precipitation 3.1 AugSeptember: 1.63 in precipitation, 1.5 in snowfall 1.6❄2 SepOctober: 0.95 in precipitation, 6.9 in snowfall 0.9❄7 OctNovember: 0.83 in precipitation, 13.2 in snowfall 0.8❄13 NovDecember: 0.61 in precipitation, 9.6 in snowfall 0.6❄10 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Minchumina, AK (9 mi away); precipitation: Minchumina, AK (9 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

3 of the 4 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

997561b
Manley Hot Springs, AK · 73 mi
996912b
Nikolai, AK · 81 mi
997771b
Tanana, AK · 97 mi
997683a
Ruby, AK · 107 mi

Alaska planting zones →

Questions about 99757

What planting zone is ZIP code 99757?

ZIP code 99757 (Lake Minchumina, AK) is in USDA hardiness zone 2b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −45 to −40 °F (−42.8 to −40 °C).

When is the last frost in Lake Minchumina, AK?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 99757 is May 13; after May 28 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Minchumina station.

When is the first frost in Lake Minchumina, AK?

The median first fall frost near 99757 is September 17, giving a median frost-free growing season of 124 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 99757?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 18 – Apr 1 and set transplants outside around May 20 – Jun 3, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 99757 get?

About 14.5 inches of precipitation a year and 54 inches of snowfall (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Minchumina station).

How hot do summers get in Lake Minchumina, AK?

The average high peaks at 69 °F in July, with about 0 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 99757 have?

The USDA soil survey maps E29-boreal taiga-silty frozen loess slopes at the center of ZIP 99757: peat, poorly drained.

What kind of onions grow in Lake Minchumina, AK?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 99757 is 20 h 51 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).