USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 48703 — Au Gres, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Standish 4NE, MI (615 ft), 12 miles west.
Updated
In Au Gres, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Standish 4NE, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 156 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 1
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 90%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Au Gres
Half of springs at Standish 4NE, MI see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 23 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 81% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 one year in ten. On average 164 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 13 days longer, to about May 18, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Standish 4NE, 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 48703 →Compare Au Gres with another place →
Weather by month in Au Gres
July is the warmest month at Standish 4NE, MI, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 14°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,253 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 172 Michigan stations. 31% of them (699) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 595. Precipitation totals 30.6 inches a year, most in June (3.6") and least in February (1.4"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 14 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 14 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 23 | 1.5 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Apr | 53 | 33 | 3.3 | 100% | 17 | 40 |
| May | 66 | 44 | 3.5 | 63% | 3 | 201 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 3.6 | 1% | 0 | 451 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 2.6 | 18% | 1 | 318 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 2.7 | 93% | 10 | 90 |
| Nov | 45 | 30 | 2.4 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 34 | 22 | 1.6 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Standish 4NE, MI (615 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, E Tawas, MI, 17 miles northeast of Au Gres, has a last frost 3 days later (May 8), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 5), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Au Gres, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Au Gres usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Standish 4NE, MI, 12.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 90% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 48703
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 48703 is 12 miles from Standish 4NE, MI, which stands at 615 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 48650 (Pinconning). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 48703 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.