USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46536 — Lakeville, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lakeville, IN (841 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Lakeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Lakeville, IN).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 163 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
- November 25
- Last snow
- March 24
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 36.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lakeville
Half of springs at Lakeville, IN see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 18 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 13 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 140 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 12, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 17.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 6 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lakeville, 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 46536 →Compare Lakeville with another place →
Weather by month in Lakeville
July is the warmest month at Lakeville, IN, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 54% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,755 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations. 34% of them (946) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 662. Precipitation totals 41.9 inches a year, most in July (4.7") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 15 | 2.7 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 2.5 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.5 | 100% | 24 | 20 |
| Apr | 59 | 36 | 3.7 | 100% | 11 | 86 |
| May | 70 | 47 | 4.5 | 54% | 1 | 296 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.5 | 10% | <1 | 390 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 3.5 | 94% | 6 | 136 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 3.0 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 2.5 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lakeville, IN (841 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, S Bend, IN, 13 miles north of Lakeville, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 23), a first frost 10 days later (October 23), a season 18 days longer.
When it snows in Lakeville, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lakeville usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lakeville, IN, 0.7 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46536
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 46536 is under a mile from Lakeville, IN, which stands at 841 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 46506 (Bremen). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46536 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.