USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 47591 — Vincennes, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Vincennes 5 NE, IN (452 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Vincennes, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 197 days (NOAA, Vincennes 5 NE, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 197 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 15
- Last snow
- February 25
- Winters with snow
- 86%
- Snow per year
- 8.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Vincennes
Half of springs at Vincennes 5 NE, IN see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 30, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 27 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 26 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 197 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 214 days one year in ten and falls short of 175 one year in ten. On average 110 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 12 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and March 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Vincennes 5 NE, 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 47591 →Compare Vincennes with another place →
Weather by month in Vincennes
July is the warmest month at Vincennes 5 NE, IN, averaging 89°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°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 86% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,133 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 90% of the 125 Indiana stations. 37% of them (1,542) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 854. Precipitation totals 46.8 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in February (2.5"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 7 |
| Feb | 45 | 24 | 2.5 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
| Mar | 55 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 67 |
| Apr | 67 | 44 | 4.9 | 86% | 4 | 223 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.5 | 6% | <1 | 497 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Aug | 88 | 64 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 3.6 | 2% | <1 | 583 |
| Oct | 70 | 45 | 3.6 | 73% | 3 | 269 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 67 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 3.4 | 100% | 23 | 11 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Vincennes 5 NE, IN (452 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, Lawrenceville 2WSW, IL, 12 miles west of Vincennes, has a last frost 1 day later (April 12), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 25), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Vincennes, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Vincennes usually arrives around December 15, and the last of the season around February 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Vincennes 5 NE, IN, 4.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47591
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 47591 is 5 miles from Vincennes 5 NE, IN, which stands at 452 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47591 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.