USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49017 — Battle Creek, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Battle Creek 5NW, MI (923 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Battle Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 158 days (NOAA, Battle Creek 5NW, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 158 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 12
- Last snow
- April 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 64.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Battle Creek
Half of springs at Battle Creek 5NW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 6; 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 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 23 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 12 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 158 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 136 one year in ten. On average 142 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 18, and return around October 1. 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 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Battle Creek 5NW, 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 49017 →Compare Battle Creek with another place →
Weather by month in Battle Creek
July is the warmest month at Battle Creek 5NW, MI, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 17°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,829 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 172 Michigan stations. 35% of them (989) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 666. Precipitation totals 34.6 inches a year, most in May (4.0") and least in February (1.6"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 2.1 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 1.6 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 47 | 27 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 23 |
| Apr | 60 | 37 | 3.2 | 100% | 11 | 96 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 4.0 | 66% | 2 | 317 |
| Jun | 80 | 57 | 3.7 | 3% | <1 | 551 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Aug | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Sep | 74 | 51 | 3.1 | 18% | 1 | 391 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 3.7 | 92% | 6 | 139 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 2.6 | 100% | 18 | 26 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 1.8 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Battle Creek 5NW, MI (923 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, Battle Creek Kellogg Airport, MI, 4 miles southwest of Battle Creek, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 7 days later (October 19), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Battle Creek, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Battle Creek usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Battle Creek 5NW, MI, 3.2 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49017
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 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 49017 is 3 miles from Battle Creek 5NW, MI, which stands at 923 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49017 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.