Frost dates in Lugano: last spring frost and first autumn frost
When is it safe to plant out in Lugano, and when does the first frost come? Dates from 45 years of nightly minimum temperatures (1981–2025), with how early or late they can fall.
Frost dates in Lugano and how sure they are
| Early year (1 in 10) | Typical (median) | Late year (1 in 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last spring frost | 16 February | 16 March | 2 April |
| First autumn frost | 14 November | 25 November | 13 December |
In a typical year the last frost in Lugano falls around 16 March and the first one around 25 November, leaving about 259 frost-free days (between 230 and 296 in 8 years out of 10). To be safe, plant tender crops after 2 April: by then the last frost has passed in 9 years out of 10. Bring them in before 14 November: in 1 year in 10 the first frost comes earlier.
Frost month by month in Lugano
| Month | Average low | Coldest night (avg) | Record low | Frost nights | Years with frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -0.8 °C | -7.4 °C | -18.4 °C | 16.8 | 100% |
| February | 0.4 °C | -6.1 °C | -16.8 °C | 11.7 | 96% |
| March | 4.2 °C | -2.2 °C | -8.6 °C | 4 | 71% |
| April | 7.8 °C | 1.8 °C | -3.1 °C | 0.2 | 16% |
| May | 12.5 °C | 6.8 °C | 3.6 °C | 0 | 0% |
| June | 16.5 °C | 10.3 °C | 5.5 °C | 0 | 0% |
| July | 18.8 °C | 12.8 °C | 9.2 °C | 0 | 0% |
| August | 18.6 °C | 12.5 °C | 7.2 °C | 0 | 0% |
| September | 14.6 °C | 8.7 °C | 4.3 °C | 0 | 0% |
| October | 10.5 °C | 4.8 °C | -1.5 °C | 0.1 | 4% |
| November | 5 °C | -1.3 °C | -9.3 °C | 3 | 64% |
| December | 0.7 °C | -6.2 °C | -14.8 °C | 12.2 | 96% |
Frost here means a night minimum at or below 0 °C at 2 m. Frost nights is the average count per month; years with frost is how many years had at least one.
Frost alerts for your garden or field
LayEarth Business Agro sends an alert when the forecast low at your saved site drops below your threshold (0 °C by default), with frost risk, hours below zero and white or black frost for each forecast day. LayEarth Pro, from 9 USD a month, adds alerts for the places you follow.
Temperature map around Lugano
The live temperature layer of the map (NOAA GFS forecast): watch the cold nights coming hour by hour.
More for Lugano
Will it rain today in Lugano? · Open the temperature map on Lugano
Questions
- When is the last frost in Lugano?
- On average around 16 March. In an early year the last frost comes by 16 February, in a late one (1 year in 10) after 2 April.
- When is the first frost in Lugano?
- On average around 25 November. In 1 year in 10 it comes before 14 November, in a mild year not until 13 December.
- How long is the growing season in Lugano?
- About 259 frost-free days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost, from 230 in a short year to 296 in a long one.
- When can I plant tomatoes in Lugano?
- Frost-tender plants such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and courgettes go out after the last frost: after 2 April the risk is down to 1 year in 10. Hardy crops can go earlier.
- How cold does it get in Lugano?
- The coldest night of winter averages -9.2 °C; the lowest since 1981 was -18.4 °C in 1985.
Frost dates nearby
How these dates are computed
Daily minimum temperature at 2 m from NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis, public domain), 1981–2025, corrected from the ~50 km grid to the real altitude of Lugano (6.5 °C per km). For each year: the last night at or below 0 °C before midsummer and the first one after it; the dates are the median and the 10% / 90% of those years. A garden in a frost pocket or a city centre can differ by days. Live temperatures: the temperature layer of the map.