USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49056 — Grand Junction, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bloomingdale, MI (736 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Grand Junction, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Bloomingdale, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 11
- 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
- November 17
- Last snow
- April 1
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 109"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Grand Junction
Half of springs at Bloomingdale, MI see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 23, 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 17 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 11 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 9 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 177 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 153 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 18, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 2 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 20 | May 24 | May 27 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bloomingdale, 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 49056 →Compare Grand Junction with another place →
Weather by month in Grand Junction
July is the warmest month at Bloomingdale, 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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,725 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 172 Michigan stations. 33% of them (901) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 666. Precipitation totals 41.1 inches a year, most in October (4.4") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 17 | 3.2 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 18 | 2.3 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 25 | 2.5 | 100% | 25 | 15 |
| Apr | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 100% | 14 | 72 |
| May | 70 | 46 | 4.1 | 68% | 3 | 276 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Sep | 75 | 51 | 3.4 | 15% | 1 | 387 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 4.4 | 93% | 9 | 130 |
| Nov | 48 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 21 |
| Dec | 37 | 23 | 3.0 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bloomingdale, MI (736 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, S Haven, MI, 12 miles west of Grand Junction, has a last frost 20 days earlier (April 17), a first frost 25 days later (November 5), a season 45 days longer.
When it snows in Grand Junction, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Grand Junction usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around April 1. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Bloomingdale, MI, 4.8 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49056
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 49056 is 5 miles from Bloomingdale, MI, which stands at 736 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 49079 (Paw Paw). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49056 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.