USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 49090 — South Haven, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from S Haven, MI (590 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In South Haven, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, S Haven, MI).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 201 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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 South Haven
Half of springs at S Haven, MI see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after May 4. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 29 20%, and after May 4 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 November 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 20, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, the longest of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 108 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 13 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 20 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 20°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 20°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at S Haven, 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 49090 →Compare South Haven with another place →
Weather by month in South Haven
July is the warmest month at S Haven, MI, averaging 80°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 22°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 17% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,980 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 172 Michigan stations. 31% of them (915) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 707.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 24 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 30 | 100% | 21 | 17 |
| Apr | 56 | 39 | 95% | 5 | 81 |
| May | 68 | 49 | 17% | <1 | 283 |
| Jun | 76 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| Jul | 80 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 707 |
| Aug | 79 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 668 |
| Sep | 74 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 464 |
| Oct | 62 | 48 | 28% | <1 | 192 |
| Nov | 49 | 36 | 97% | 10 | 30 |
| Dec | 39 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at S Haven, MI (590 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, Bloomingdale, MI, 15 miles east of South Haven, has a last frost 20 days later (May 7), a first frost 25 days earlier (October 11), a season 45 days shorter.
When it snows in South Haven, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Haven 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, 14.7 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 16 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49090
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 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 49090 is 2 miles from S Haven, MI, which stands at 590 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 49090 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.