USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46128 — Fillmore, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greencastle 1 W, IN (735 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Fillmore, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Greencastle 1 W, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 169 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 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 22.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fillmore
Half of springs at Greencastle 1 W, IN see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 15 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, shorter than at 91% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 149 one year in ten. On average 124 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 8, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greencastle 1 W, 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 46128 →Compare Fillmore with another place →
Weather by month in Fillmore
July is the warmest month at Greencastle 1 W, IN, averaging 83°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,059 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 81% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,088) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 688. Precipitation totals 46.3 inches a year, most in June (5.4") and least in February (2.6"); 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 | 17 | 3.2 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 2.6 | 100% | 24 | 3 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 3.5 | 100% | 20 | 40 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 4.7 | 99% | 6 | 124 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 4.9 | 38% | 1 | 340 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 579 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Sep | 77 | 52 | 3.7 | 8% | <1 | 437 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.6 | 98% | 5 | 166 |
| Nov | 51 | 30 | 3.6 | 100% | 16 | 31 |
| Dec | 39 | 22 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greencastle 1 W, IN (735 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, Jamestown 2 E, IN, 19 miles northeast of Fillmore and 227 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 23), a first frost 4 days later (October 19), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Fillmore, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fillmore usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Greencastle 1 W, IN, 6.9 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 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46128
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 46128 is 7 miles from Greencastle 1 W, IN, which stands at 735 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 46135 (Greencastle). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46128 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.