A cool-season vegetable, potatoes thrive when soil temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees, according to University of Illinois Extension. They usually don't perform well under extreme temperatures, although some varieties can withstand light frosts.
According to University of Illinois Extension, you should plant potatoes when soils have dried and warmed after winter. Texas A&M University System Extension recommends that you wait until the soil temperature at a depth of 4 inches reaches about 50 degrees.
According to University of Illinois Extension, early planting in damp, cold soils increases the risk of the seed pieces decaying before the new plants sprout. They can also freeze in late frosts.
You can plant potatoes up until about 110 days before the first expected frost, according to Texas A&M University System Extension. Use these potatoes as winter storage potatoes.