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USDA Hardiness Zone 6b

Frost Dates for 47512 — Bicknell, Indiana

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Freelandville, IN (550 ft), 6 miles north.

Updated

In Bicknell, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 24 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Freelandville, IN).

Last spring frost
April 9

50% probability

First fall frost
October 30

50% probability

Growing season
202 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6b

-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night

First snow
December 12

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 1

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

20 of 20 observed

Snow per year
15.1"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Bicknell

Half of springs at Freelandville, IN see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 24. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 24 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 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 220 days one year in ten and falls short of 181 one year in ten. On average 102 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 20, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 9 and February 28.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 6Apr 11Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 5
32°FMar 25Mar 31Apr 3Apr 6Apr 9Apr 12Apr 16Apr 20Apr 24
28°FMar 12Mar 18Mar 23Mar 27Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 14
24°FFeb 28Mar 6Mar 12Mar 16Mar 19Mar 23Mar 27Mar 30Apr 4
20°FFeb 17Feb 26Mar 1Mar 5Mar 9Mar 12Mar 16Mar 20Mar 26
16°FFeb 5Feb 12Feb 19Feb 25Feb 28Mar 4Mar 8Mar 12Mar 17
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 20Nov 26
24°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
20°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18
16°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 18Dec 23Dec 29

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Freelandville, 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 47512 →Compare Bicknell with another place →

Weather by month in Bicknell

July is the warmest month at Freelandville, IN, averaging 86°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 78% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 3,849 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 125 Indiana stations. 37% of them (1,423) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 812. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 46% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Freelandville, IN
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan37223.2100%256
Feb42252.5100%227
Mar53343.499%1662
Apr65444.778%3194
May74555.53%0455
Jun83644.40%0699
Jul86674.20%0812
Aug85653.50%0767
Sep79573.40%0544
Oct67463.657%2238
Nov53353.9100%1257
Dec42273.1100%239

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Freelandville, IN (550 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, Vincennes 5 NE, IN, 10 miles west of Bicknell, has a last frost 2 days later (April 11), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 26), a season 5 days shorter.

Frost dates for 47591 (Vincennes) →

When it snows in Bicknell, Indiana

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bicknell usually arrives around December 12, and the last of the season around March 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Freelandville, IN, 6.2 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 39 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 47512

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Bicknell, Indiana
WhenWhat to do
January 29 – February 12Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 12 – February 26Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 12 – March 26Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 9 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 7Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 16Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 30 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 47512 is 6 miles from Freelandville, IN, which stands at 550 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 47512 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.

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 6b places in Indiana