GreenlyGardening in Latvia: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 7 cities of Latvia from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 162 days in Rēzekne to 214 days in Liepāja. The last spring frost comes first in Riga (around 15 April) and last in Rēzekne (around 7 May).
Climate zones of Latvia
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
How the regions of Latvia differ
The gap between the warmest month’s days and the coldest month’s nights is widest in Rēzekne (28.2 °C) and smallest in Liepāja (23.3 °C): the smaller it is, the milder both winter and summer. In all 7 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Ventspils (December–March).
Which crops suit which part of Latvia
Season long enough: the days from planting to the first autumn frost cover the days to the first harvest on the plant card. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.
| Crop | Planting out or sowing | Season long enough | Tight or too short |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | 17 May (Liepāja) – 1 August (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Cucumber | 10 June (Liepāja) – 6 September (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 10 June (Liepāja) – 1 August (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Zucchini | 10 June (Liepāja) – 4 September (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Pumpkin | 10 June (Liepāja) – 27 July (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Watermelon | 10 June (Liepāja) – 12 August (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Peas | 25 March (Riga) – 8 September (Liepāja) | all 7 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 16 September (Rēzekne) – end of December (Liepāja) | — | — |
Cities of Latvia: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ventspils | 212 | July, 21.2 °C | January, -2.4 °C | 782 mm | March | — |
| Jūrmala | 193 | July, 22.4 °C | January, -3.9 °C | 714 mm | March | — |
| Riga | 212 | July, 21.8 °C | January, -3.6 °C | 756 mm | March | 24 |
| Jelgava | 180 | July, 22.8 °C | January, -4.4 °C | 728 mm | March | — |
| Rēzekne | 162 | July, 22.1 °C | January, -6.1 °C | 758 mm | March | — |
| Liepāja | 214 | July, 21.2 °C | January, -2.1 °C | 810 mm | April | — |
| Daugavpils | 178 | July, 22.7 °C | January, -5.3 °C | 785 mm | March | — |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
