USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46118 — Clayton, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Indianapolis Nwfo, IN (790 ft), 14 miles east.
Updated
In Clayton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Indianapolis Nwfo, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 196 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
- March 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clayton
Half of springs at Indianapolis Nwfo, IN see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 28 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 27 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, longer than at 80% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 214 days one year in ten and falls short of 176 one year in ten. On average 108 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 23, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Indianapolis Nwfo, 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 46118 →Compare Clayton with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Indianapolis, IN, 14 miles east of Clayton, has a last frost 3 days later (April 15), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 26), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Clayton, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Clayton usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Danville 3 SW, IN, 5.2 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46118
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 46118 is 14 miles from Indianapolis Nwfo, IN, which stands at 790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 46168 (Plainfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46118 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.