USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46065 — Rossville, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Frankfort Disposal, IN (824 ft), 11 miles southeast.
Updated
In Rossville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 181 days (NOAA, Frankfort Disposal, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 181 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 1
- Last snow
- March 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rossville
Half of springs at Frankfort Disposal, IN see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 7, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 23, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 181 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 201 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 119 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 2, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 24°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 12 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Frankfort Disposal, 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 46065 →Compare Rossville with another place →
Weather by month in Rossville
July is the warmest month at Frankfort Disposal, IN, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 19°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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,326 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,202) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 732. Precipitation totals 43.4 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in February (2.5"); 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 | 19 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 38 | 22 | 2.5 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 3.1 | 100% | 19 | 40 |
| Apr | 62 | 41 | 4.1 | 96% | 6 | 140 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 4.4 | 21% | <1 | 386 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Aug | 82 | 62 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Sep | 77 | 54 | 3.1 | 3% | <1 | 476 |
| Oct | 65 | 44 | 3.3 | 87% | 3 | 190 |
| Nov | 50 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 15 | 37 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 2.9 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Frankfort Disposal, IN (824 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, Delphi 2 N, IN, 13 miles north of Rossville and 268 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day later (April 22), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 17), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Rossville, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Rossville usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Frankfort Disposal, IN, 10.5 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 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46065
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 46065 is 11 miles from Frankfort Disposal, IN, which stands at 824 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 46041 (Frankfort). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46065 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.