USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 47327 — Cambridge City, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cambridge City 3 N, IN (1,000 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Cambridge City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 9, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Cambridge City 3 N, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 9
- Growing season
- 164 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 4
- Last snow
- March 15
- Winters with snow
- 97%
- Snow per year
- 24.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cambridge City
Half of springs at Cambridge City 3 N, IN see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 9 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 139 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 8 days longer, to about May 5, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cambridge City 3 N, 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 47327 →Compare Cambridge City with another place →
Weather by month in Cambridge City
July is the warmest month at Cambridge City 3 N, IN, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,876 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations. 35% of them (1,013) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 668.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 100% | 28 | 3 |
| Feb | 38 | 20 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Mar | 49 | 27 | 100% | 22 | 23 |
| Apr | 61 | 37 | 100% | 9 | 104 |
| May | 71 | 49 | 36% | 1 | 328 |
| Jun | 79 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Sep | 76 | 50 | 17% | 1 | 400 |
| Oct | 64 | 39 | 99% | 9 | 137 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 100% | 20 | 32 |
| Dec | 39 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cambridge City 3 N, IN (1,000 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, New Castle 3 SW, IN, 13 miles northwest of Cambridge City, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 8 days later (October 17), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Cambridge City, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cambridge City usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at New Castle 3 SW, IN, 12.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 97% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47327
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 9 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 47327 is 4 miles from Cambridge City 3 N, IN, which stands at 1,000 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 47331 (Connersville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47327 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.