USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 47951 — Kentland, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kentland, IN (695 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Kentland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 175 days (NOAA, Kentland, IN).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 175 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 8
- Last snow
- March 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kentland
Half of springs at Kentland, IN see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 8 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 14 in half of years, as early as October 1 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 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 175 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 125 Indiana stations; it reaches 194 days one year in ten and falls short of 153 one year in ten. On average 133 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 3, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kentland, 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 47951 →Compare Kentland with another place →
Weather by month in Kentland
July is the warmest month at Kentland, IN, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 16°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,284 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 125 Indiana stations. 36% of them (1,196) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 728.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 16 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 100% | 21 | 35 |
| Apr | 63 | 39 | 98% | 7 | 132 |
| May | 75 | 50 | 27% | 1 | 396 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 728 |
| Aug | 84 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Sep | 79 | 52 | 10% | <1 | 462 |
| Oct | 66 | 41 | 93% | 7 | 184 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
| Dec | 39 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kentland, IN (695 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, Watseka 2 NW, IL, 16 miles west of Kentland, has a last frost 1 day later (April 24), a first frost 2 days later (October 16), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Kentland, Indiana
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kentland usually arrives around December 8, and the last of the season around March 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Morocco 1 NW, IN, 12.6 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 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 47951
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 47951 is 1 mile from Kentland, IN, which stands at 695 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 47963 (Morocco). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 47951 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.