Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 46124 — Edinburgh, Indiana

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Franklin Wwtp, IN (720 ft), 8 miles northwest.

Updated

In Edinburgh, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 180 days (NOAA, Franklin Wwtp, IN).

Last spring frost
April 20

50% probability

First fall frost
October 19

50% probability

Growing season
180 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 19

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 3

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

20 of 20 observed

Snow per year
16.9"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Edinburgh

Half of springs at Franklin Wwtp, IN see their last 32°F night by April 20; 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 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 66% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 180 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 160 one year in ten. On average 117 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 1, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 10.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 18Apr 22Apr 25Apr 29May 1May 4May 7May 11May 16
32°FApr 7Apr 11Apr 15Apr 18Apr 20Apr 23Apr 27May 1May 7
28°FMar 25Mar 31Apr 3Apr 5Apr 8Apr 12Apr 15Apr 19Apr 24
24°FMar 13Mar 19Mar 23Mar 26Mar 30Apr 1Apr 3Apr 7Apr 12
20°FMar 3Mar 8Mar 12Mar 15Mar 18Mar 21Mar 24Mar 29Apr 1
16°FFeb 20Feb 28Mar 3Mar 6Mar 10Mar 12Mar 16Mar 19Mar 24
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 12
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 25
20°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Franklin Wwtp, 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 46124 →Compare Edinburgh with another place →

Weather by month in Edinburgh

July is the warmest month at Franklin Wwtp, IN, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°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 21% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,303 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 54% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,186) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 744. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 46% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Franklin Wwtp, IN
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan35183.0100%262
Feb40202.5100%244
Mar51293.7100%1838
Apr63404.997%5134
May73515.321%<1376
Jun81615.10%0631
Jul84644.20%0744
Aug83613.30%0684
Sep78543.22%0483
Oct66413.389%4174
Nov52313.5100%1629
Dec40233.4100%245

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Franklin Wwtp, IN (720 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, Columbus, IN, 14 miles south of Edinburgh, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 6 days later (October 25), a season 15 days longer.

Frost dates for 47201 (Columbus) →

When it snows in Edinburgh, Indiana

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Edinburgh usually arrives around December 19, and the last of the season around March 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Franklin Wwtp, IN, 7.6 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 48 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 46124

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Edinburgh, Indiana
WhenWhat to do
February 9 – February 23Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 23 – March 9Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 23 – April 6Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 20 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 27Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 5Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 19 onwardPlant 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 46124 is 8 miles from Franklin Wwtp, IN, which stands at 720 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 46131 (Franklin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46124 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.

Frost dates across Indiana →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6b places in Indiana