USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 48763 — Tawas City, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from E Tawas, MI (586 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Tawas City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 148 days (NOAA, E Tawas, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 148 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
- November 23
- Last snow
- April 7
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 49.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tawas City
Half of springs at E Tawas, MI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 26 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 148 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 169 days one year in ten and falls short of 129 one year in ten. On average 157 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 15 days longer, to about May 23, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 12 | May 17 | May 19 | May 23 | May 26 | May 30 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 26 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 15 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at E Tawas, 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 48763 →Compare Tawas City with another place →
Weather by month in Tawas City
July is the warmest month at E Tawas, MI, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 13°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,192 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 172 Michigan stations. 29% of them (641) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 594. Precipitation totals 32.3 inches a year, most in April (3.4") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 13 | 2.1 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 13 | 1.8 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 1.9 | 100% | 27 | 4 |
| Apr | 52 | 32 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 27 |
| May | 65 | 44 | 3.2 | 75% | 2 | 182 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 3.3 | 4% | 0 | 429 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 594 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 550 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 2.9 | 29% | 1 | 321 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 3.0 | 98% | 8 | 81 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.5 | 100% | 19 | 6 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.1 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at E Tawas, MI (586 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, Hale 5SSW #2, MI, 14 miles west of Tawas City and 230 feet higher, has a last frost 15 days later (May 23), a first frost 9 days earlier (September 26), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Tawas City, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Tawas City usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around April 7. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at E Tawas, MI, 3.6 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 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 48763
| 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 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 48763 is 4 miles from E Tawas, MI, which stands at 586 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 48750 (Oscoda). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 48763 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.