USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 47842 — Clinton, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rockville, IN (689 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Clinton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Rockville, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 164 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 9
- Last snow
- March 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 15.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clinton
Half of springs at Rockville, IN see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 15 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 12 in half of years, as early as September 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 184 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 111 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 10, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 16 | May 20 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rockville, 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 47842 →Compare Clinton with another place →
Weather by month in Clinton
July is the warmest month at Rockville, IN, averaging 86°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°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 August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,402 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 125 Indiana stations. 37% of them (1,248) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 741. Precipitation totals 47.5 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 36 | 17 | 3.4 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 21 | 2.6 | 100% | 22 | 5 |
| Mar | 52 | 29 | 3.3 | 100% | 17 | 48 |
| Apr | 66 | 40 | 5.0 | 99% | 5 | 166 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 5.0 | 47% | <1 | 399 |
| Jun | 84 | 58 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Jul | 86 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Aug | 85 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.1 | 11% | <1 | 480 |
| Oct | 67 | 42 | 3.9 | 98% | 4 | 194 |
| Nov | 52 | 31 | 3.9 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| Dec | 40 | 22 | 3.3 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rockville, IN (689 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, Paris Stp, IL, 13 miles west of Clinton, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 8 days later (October 20), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Clinton, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Clinton usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Clinton 2 W, IN, 0.7 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 56 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47842
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 47842 is 13 miles from Rockville, IN, which stands at 689 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 47842 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.