USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 47240 — Greensburg, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greensburg, IN (937 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Greensburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Greensburg, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 194 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 12
- Last snow
- March 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 13.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greensburg
Half of springs at Greensburg, IN see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 2 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 212 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 109 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 April 26, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greensburg, 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 47240 →Compare Greensburg with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Greensburg
In Greensburg, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 2 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 12, 163 days later; that gap is longer than at 74% of the 125 Indiana stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 32 days (March 31 to May 2) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (October 12 to November 7): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Rushville, IN, 19 miles north, the same gap runs from May 5 to October 11, 4 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 1 | 88% | 55% |
| Apr 8 | 67% | 30% |
| Apr 1550% date | 50% | 17% |
| Apr 22 | 28% | under 10% |
| Apr 29 | 15% | under 10% |
| May 6 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Greensburg
July is the warmest month at Greensburg, IN, averaging 85°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 87% of years and May still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,710 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 125 Indiana stations. 37% of them (1,370) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 787. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in June (5.4") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 22 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Feb | 41 | 24 | 2.8 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Mar | 51 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 17 | 54 |
| Apr | 64 | 44 | 4.9 | 87% | 4 | 187 |
| May | 74 | 55 | 5.1 | 12% | <1 | 443 |
| Jun | 82 | 63 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Jul | 85 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Aug | 83 | 64 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Sep | 78 | 57 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 526 |
| Oct | 66 | 46 | 3.4 | 75% | 3 | 225 |
| Nov | 52 | 35 | 3.6 | 100% | 14 | 51 |
| Dec | 41 | 27 | 3.5 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greensburg, IN (937 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, Rushville, IN, 19 miles north of Greensburg, has a last frost 4 days later (April 19), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 23), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Greensburg, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Greensburg usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Greensburg, IN, 1.2 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 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47240
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 47240 is 1 mile from Greensburg, IN, which stands at 937 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47240 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.
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.