USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46036 — Elwood, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elwood, IN (866 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Elwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Elwood, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 175 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 7
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 75%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elwood
Half of springs at Elwood, IN see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 8, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 10 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 154 one year in ten. On average 128 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 May 5, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elwood, 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 46036 →Compare Elwood with another place →
Weather by month in Elwood
July is the warmest month at Elwood, IN, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 18°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 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,198 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,147) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 722. Precipitation totals 42.5 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 20 | 2.3 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 21 | 35 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 4.0 | 98% | 7 | 125 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.4 | 31% | <1 | 368 |
| Jun | 81 | 60 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 722 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.1 | 5% | <1 | 451 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.0 | 88% | 6 | 167 |
| Nov | 50 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 33 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 3.1 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elwood, IN (866 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, Anderson Sewage Plt, IN, 13 miles southeast of Elwood, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 5 days later (October 23), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Elwood, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elwood usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Elwood, IN, 0.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 75% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 57 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46036
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 46036 is under a mile from Elwood, IN, which stands at 866 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46036 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.