USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 46845 — Fort Wayne, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Garrett 1 S, IN (870 ft), 10 miles north.
Updated
In Fort Wayne, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 2 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Garrett 1 S, IN).
- Last spring frost
- May 2
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 159 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 17
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 36"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Wayne
Half of springs at Garrett 1 S, IN see their last 32°F night by May 2; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 89% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 7, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 141 one year in ten. On average 129 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 11, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Garrett 1 S, 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 46845 →Compare Fort Wayne with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Wayne
July is the warmest month at Garrett 1 S, IN, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°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 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 2,660 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 125 Indiana stations. 35% of them (921) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 637. Precipitation totals 39.5 inches a year, most in May (4.7") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 17 | 2.5 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 19 | 2.3 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 27 | 2.7 | 100% | 21 | 20 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 4.0 | 100% | 8 | 88 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 4.7 | 54% | 1 | 290 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 522 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.2 | 16% | <1 | 374 |
| Oct | 61 | 41 | 3.0 | 97% | 4 | 129 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 3.1 | 100% | 16 | 20 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 | 2.6 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Garrett 1 S, IN (870 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, Garrett, IN, 10 miles north of Fort Wayne, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 29), a first frost 7 days later (October 17), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Fort Wayne, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fort Wayne usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Garrett 1 S, IN, 9.5 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 46845
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 21 – March 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 4 – April 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 46845 is 10 miles from Garrett 1 S, IN, which stands at 870 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 46825 (Fort Wayne). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 46845 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.