USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46011 — Anderson, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Anderson Sewage Plt, IN (841 ft), 1 miles east.
Updated
In Anderson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Anderson Sewage Plt, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 186 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 8
- Last snow
- March 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Anderson
Half of springs at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 5. Planting tender crops after April 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 5 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 112 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 11 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 18 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 46011 →Compare Anderson with another place →
Weather by month in Anderson
July is the warmest month at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, averaging 84°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,464 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,259) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 753. Precipitation totals 43.8 inches a year, most in June (5.2") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 21 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Feb | 39 | 24 | 2.5 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
| Mar | 50 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 18 | 47 |
| Apr | 63 | 42 | 4.1 | 92% | 5 | 156 |
| May | 73 | 53 | 4.6 | 18% | <1 | 402 |
| Jun | 81 | 62 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Aug | 82 | 63 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Sep | 77 | 56 | 3.1 | 3% | <1 | 489 |
| Oct | 65 | 45 | 3.4 | 75% | 3 | 205 |
| Nov | 51 | 35 | 3.7 | 100% | 14 | 44 |
| Dec | 39 | 26 | 3.0 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN (841 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Elwood, IN, 13 miles northwest of Anderson, has a last frost 5 days later (April 24), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 18), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Anderson, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Anderson usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, 1.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46011
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 46011 is 1 mile from Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, which stands at 841 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 10 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 46012 (Anderson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46011 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.