USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 47804 — Terre Haute, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Terre Haute Indiana State, IN (507 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Terre Haute, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 187 days (NOAA, Terre Haute Indiana State, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 187 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 14
- Last snow
- March 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Terre Haute
Half of springs at Terre Haute Indiana State, IN see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 84% of the 125 Indiana stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 187 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 162 one year in ten. On average 116 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 26, and return around October 10. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 15 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Terre Haute Indiana State, 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 47804 →Compare Terre Haute with another place →
Weather by month in Terre Haute
July is the warmest month at Terre Haute Indiana State, IN, averaging 90°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 86% of years and May still brings one in 14% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,193 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 125 Indiana stations. 38% of them (1,575) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 880.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 19 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Feb | 45 | 23 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 100% | 17 | 70 |
| Apr | 69 | 44 | 86% | 4 | 236 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 14% | <1 | 509 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Jul | 90 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Aug | 89 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Sep | 84 | 56 | 6% | <1 | 589 |
| Oct | 71 | 43 | 85% | 4 | 251 |
| Nov | 56 | 33 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 100% | 24 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Terre Haute Indiana State, IN (507 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, Terre Haute Hulman Regional Airport, IN, 5 miles southeast of Terre Haute, has a last frost 1 day later (April 16), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 18), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Terre Haute, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Terre Haute usually arrives around December 14, and the last of the season around March 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Terre Haute Indiana State, IN, 1.9 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 42 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47804
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 47804 is 2 miles from Terre Haute Indiana State, IN, which stands at 507 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 47802 (Terre Haute). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47804 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.