USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49060 — Hickory Corners, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI (925 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Hickory Corners, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 173 days (NOAA, Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 173 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 24
- Last snow
- March 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hickory Corners
Half of springs at Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 18 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 93% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 20 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 173 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 195 days one year in ten and falls short of 148 one year in ten. On average 128 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 11, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and March 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gull Lake Biological Stn, 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 49060 →Compare Hickory Corners with another place →
Weather by month in Hickory Corners
July is the warmest month at Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 19°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,083 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 172 Michigan stations. 35% of them (1,074) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 721.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 19 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 20 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 48 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 27 |
| Apr | 61 | 38 | 99% | 10 | 104 |
| May | 72 | 49 | 44% | 1 | 347 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 1% | 0 | 594 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 721 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 665 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 5% | <1 | 434 |
| Oct | 63 | 43 | 82% | 4 | 159 |
| Nov | 48 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 29 |
| Dec | 37 | 25 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI (925 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 5NW, MI, 8 miles southeast of Hickory Corners, has a last frost 7 days later (May 6), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 12), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Hickory Corners, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Hickory Corners usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around March 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI, 2.3 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 38 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49060
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 49060 is 2 miles from Gull Lake Biological Stn, MI, which stands at 925 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 49083 (Richland). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49060 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.