GreenlyGardening in Slovakia: climate, frost dates and crops by region
We worked out the season of 7 cities of Slovakia from ten years of weather: the frost-free season lasts from 184 days in Prešov to 222 days in Trnava. The last spring frost comes first in Trnava (around 8 April) and last in Banská Bystrica (around 24 April).
Climate zones of Slovakia
By the days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost.
| Zone | Cities | Frost-free days | Last spring frost | First autumn frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 210–269 frost-free days | Trnava, Nitra, Bratislava | 221 – 222 | 8 April – 9 April | 16 November |
| 150–209 frost-free days | Žilina, Prešov, Banská Bystrica, Košice | 184 – 197 | 13 April – 24 April | 24 October – 3 November |
How the regions of Slovakia differ
Žilina is the wettest of these cities with 939 mm a year, Nitra the driest with 649 mm. The hottest summer days are in Nitra (27.6 °C on average in the warmest month), the coolest in Žilina (24.7 °C). In all 7 cities at least one month averages below 0 °C at night; the longest such winter is in Žilina (December–March).
Which crops suit which part of Slovakia
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 | 9 May (Nitra) – 27 July (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Cucumber | 28 May (Nitra) – 1 September (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Bell Pepper, Eggplant | 28 May (Nitra) – 27 July (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Zucchini | 28 May (Nitra) – 30 August (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Pumpkin | 28 May (Nitra) – 22 July (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Watermelon | 28 May (Nitra) – 7 August (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Peas | 18 March (Trnava) – 3 September (Trnava) | all 7 | — |
| Garlic, Tulip, Daffodil, Crocus, Hyacinth | Autumn planting: 24 September (Prešov) – end of December (Trnava) | — | — |
Cities of Slovakia: weather in numbers
| City | Frost-free days | Warmest month, day | Coldest month, night | Rain a year | Driest month | Places to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Žilina | 185 | August, 24.7 °C | January, -4.3 °C | 939 mm | March | — |
| Prešov | 184 | August, 26 °C | January, -4.3 °C | 724 mm | January | — |
| Banská Bystrica | 193 | August, 25.7 °C | January, -4.2 °C | 811 mm | March | — |
| Košice | 197 | August, 26.2 °C | January, -4.4 °C | 697 mm | January | — |
| Trnava | 222 | July, 27 °C | January, -2.8 °C | 663 mm | March | — |
| Nitra | 221 | July, 27.6 °C | January, -2.9 °C | 649 mm | March | — |
| Bratislava | 221 | July, 26.7 °C | January, -2.1 °C | 651 mm | March | 41 |
ERA5 2016–2025 via Open-Meteo, 25 km grid cell of each city; dates by the Greenly calendar and the plant cards.
