USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46770 — Markle, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bluffton 6N, IN (861 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Markle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Bluffton 6N, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 179 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 5
- Last snow
- March 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 23.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Markle
Half of springs at Bluffton 6N, IN see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 70% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, shorter than at 59% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 126 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 9 days longer, to about May 3, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bluffton 6N, 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 46770 →Compare Markle with another place →
Weather by month in Markle
July is the warmest month at Bluffton 6N, IN, averaging 83°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 17°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,091 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 125 Indiana stations. 35% of them (1,088) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 711. Precipitation totals 40.1 inches a year, most in May (4.7") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.5 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 2.0 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 47 | 28 | 2.7 | 100% | 22 | 24 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 3.8 | 99% | 7 | 111 |
| May | 71 | 51 | 4.7 | 27% | <1 | 349 |
| Jun | 80 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Jul | 83 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 711 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.1 | 3% | <1 | 443 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 2.9 | 84% | 4 | 164 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 2.3 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bluffton 6N, IN (861 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, Fort Wayne International Airport, IN, 10 miles northeast of Markle, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day later (October 21), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Markle, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Markle usually arrives around December 5, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bluffton 6N, IN, 8.4 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46770
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 46770 is 8 miles from Bluffton 6N, IN, which stands at 861 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 46714 (Bluffton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46770 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.