USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 48642 — Midland, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Midland, MI (640 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Midland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Midland, MI).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 167 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
- November 26
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Midland
Half of springs at Midland, MI see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 62% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 16 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, longer than at 73% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 136 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 May 10, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Midland, MI, 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 48642 →Compare Midland with another place →
Weather by month in Midland
July is the warmest month at Midland, MI, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,691 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 172 Michigan stations. 33% of them (876) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 676. Precipitation totals 33.4 inches a year, most in May (3.7") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 17 | 2.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 18 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 25 | 2.0 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.5 | 100% | 10 | 64 |
| May | 68 | 48 | 3.7 | 44% | 1 | 271 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 528 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 2.8 | 8% | <1 | 382 |
| Oct | 60 | 42 | 3.1 | 88% | 4 | 123 |
| Nov | 46 | 32 | 2.7 | 100% | 16 | 16 |
| Dec | 34 | 23 | 2.0 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Midland, MI (640 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, Auburn 2NE, MI, 10 miles east of Midland, has a last frost 4 days later (May 3), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 14), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Midland, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Midland usually arrives around November 26, and the last of the season around March 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Midland, MI, 3.1 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 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 48642
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 48642 is 3 miles from Midland, MI, which stands at 640 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 48642 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.