USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 48755 — Pigeon, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Filion 5NNW, MI (635 ft), 11 miles east.
Updated
In Pigeon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Filion 5NNW, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 162 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 22
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pigeon
Half of springs at Filion 5NNW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as September 28 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 November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 139 one year in ten. On average 151 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 12 days longer, to about May 20, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Filion 5NNW, 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 48755 →Compare Pigeon with another place →
Weather by month in Pigeon
July is the warmest month at Filion 5NNW, MI, averaging 79°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,146 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 172 Michigan stations. 30% of them (649) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 559.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 15 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 14 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 23 | 100% | 27 | 9 |
| Apr | 52 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 33 |
| May | 65 | 43 | 72% | 2 | 186 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 422 |
| Jul | 79 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| Aug | 77 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 516 |
| Sep | 70 | 50 | 14% | <1 | 312 |
| Oct | 58 | 41 | 87% | 5 | 97 |
| Nov | 45 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 13 |
| Dec | 33 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Filion 5NNW, MI (635 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, Bad Axe, MI, 15 miles east of Pigeon, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 2 days later (October 19), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Pigeon, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pigeon usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Filion 5NNW, MI, 10.9 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 48755
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 48755 is 11 miles from Filion 5NNW, MI, which stands at 635 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 48755 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.