USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 47362 — New Castle, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New Castle 3 SW, IN (991 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In New Castle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, New Castle 3 SW, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 173 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 New Castle
Half of springs at New Castle 3 SW, IN see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 7 20%, and after May 12 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 9 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 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 151 one year in ten. On average 132 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 6, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New Castle 3 SW, 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 47362 →Compare New Castle with another place →
Weather by month in New Castle
July is the warmest month at New Castle 3 SW, IN, averaging 83°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,058 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 82% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,095) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 684. Precipitation totals 44.4 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 3.0 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 2.5 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
| Mar | 49 | 28 | 3.4 | 100% | 21 | 33 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 | 4.4 | 98% | 9 | 122 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.9 | 39% | 1 | 353 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 684 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Sep | 77 | 52 | 3.1 | 4% | <1 | 441 |
| Oct | 65 | 41 | 3.2 | 93% | 6 | 169 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 3.0 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New Castle 3 SW, IN (991 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, Cambridge City 3 N, IN, 11 miles southeast of New Castle, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 8 days earlier (October 9), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in New Castle, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in New Castle 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, 2.6 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 47362
| 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 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 47362 is 3 miles from New Castle 3 SW, IN, which stands at 991 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47362 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.