USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 47454 — Paoli, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Paoli, IN (560 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Paoli, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Paoli, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 178 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 17
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 12.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Paoli
Half of springs at Paoli, IN see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 6 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 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 25, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 119 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 1, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Paoli, 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 47454 →Compare Paoli with another place →
Weather by month in Paoli
July is the warmest month at Paoli, IN, averaging 87°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 21°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 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,677 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 125 Indiana stations. 37% of them (1,362) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 792. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in April (5.4") and least in August (3.2"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 21 | 3.4 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 24 | 3.4 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
| Mar | 55 | 32 | 4.4 | 100% | 18 | 55 |
| Apr | 67 | 41 | 5.4 | 95% | 7 | 187 |
| May | 76 | 52 | 5.4 | 24% | <1 | 438 |
| Jun | 84 | 61 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Jul | 87 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Aug | 86 | 62 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Sep | 80 | 54 | 3.9 | 2% | <1 | 505 |
| Oct | 68 | 42 | 3.4 | 93% | 6 | 209 |
| Nov | 55 | 33 | 4.0 | 100% | 17 | 51 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 4.0 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Paoli, IN (560 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, Dubois S In Forage Fm, IN, 13 miles southwest of Paoli, has a last frost 4 days later (April 25), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 15), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Paoli, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Paoli usually arrives around December 17, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Paoli, IN, 1.6 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 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47454
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 47454 is 2 miles from Paoli, IN, which stands at 560 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 47454 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.