USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49076 — Olivet, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Charlotte, MI (902 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Olivet, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Charlotte, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 164 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 23
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Olivet
Half of springs at Charlotte, MI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 18 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 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 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 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 one year in ten. On average 149 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 13, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 19 | May 24 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 7 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Charlotte, 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 49076 →Compare Olivet with another place →
Weather by month in Olivet
July is the warmest month at Charlotte, MI, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,543 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 172 Michigan stations. 33% of them (840) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 640. Precipitation totals 35.8 inches a year, most in May (4.0") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 2.3 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 1.7 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 2.3 | 100% | 25 | 15 |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 13 | 63 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 4.0 | 53% | 1 | 257 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 505 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | 9% | <1 | 355 |
| Oct | 60 | 40 | 3.6 | 93% | 7 | 113 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 2.7 | 100% | 20 | 13 |
| Dec | 35 | 22 | 2.2 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Charlotte, MI (902 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, Eaton Rapids, MI, 14 miles east of Olivet, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 30), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 14), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Olivet, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Olivet usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Charlotte, MI, 8.8 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49076
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 49076 is 9 miles from Charlotte, MI, which stands at 902 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 48813 (Charlotte). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49076 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.