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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 47320 — Albany, Indiana

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Farmland 5 NNW, IN (965 ft), 6 miles southeast.

Updated

In Albany, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Farmland 5 NNW, IN).

Last spring frost
April 25

50% probability

First fall frost
October 16

50% probability

Growing season
173 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
December 4

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 19

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

28 of 28 observed

Snow per year
20.9"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Albany

Half of springs at Farmland 5 NNW, IN see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 191 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 131 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 10 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 12.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 21Apr 27Apr 30May 2May 5May 8May 11May 16May 22
32°FApr 11Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 25Apr 28May 1May 5May 11
28°FMar 31Apr 4Apr 7Apr 11Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20Apr 24Apr 29
24°FMar 18Mar 23Mar 27Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 8Apr 12Apr 17
20°FMar 6Mar 12Mar 16Mar 19Mar 22Mar 26Mar 29Apr 1Apr 6
16°FFeb 21Mar 1Mar 5Mar 8Mar 12Mar 14Mar 18Mar 22Mar 28
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8
16°FNov 14Nov 21Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 16Dec 23

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Farmland 5 NNW, 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 47320 →Compare Albany with another place →

Weather by month in Albany

July is the warmest month at Farmland 5 NNW, IN, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 18°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 31% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,247 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,168) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 727. Precipitation totals 41.2 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Farmland 5 NNW, IN
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan35182.5100%273
Feb38202.2100%254
Mar49293.2100%2134
Apr62394.099%8131
May73514.431%1374
Jun82604.60%0622
Jul84634.40%0727
Aug83603.80%0671
Sep78533.17%<1459
Oct66423.293%6179
Nov51323.2100%1738
Dec40232.6100%265

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Farmland 5 NNW, IN (965 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, Muncie Delaware Co Airport, IN, 8 miles southwest of Albany, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 9 days later (October 25), a season 17 days longer.

Frost dates for 47304 (Muncie) →

When it snows in Albany, Indiana

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Albany usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 19. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Farmland 5 NNW, IN, 6.1 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 37 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 47320

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Albany, Indiana
WhenWhat to do
February 14 – February 28Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 28 – March 14Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 28 – April 11Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 25 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 24Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 2Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 16 onwardPlant 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 47320 is 6 miles from Farmland 5 NNW, IN, which stands at 965 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47320 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.

Frost dates across Indiana →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6a places in Indiana