USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49251 — Leslie, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eaton Rapids, MI (870 ft), 13 miles west.
Updated
In Leslie, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 165 days (NOAA, Eaton Rapids, MI).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 165 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 25
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 36"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Leslie
Half of springs at Eaton Rapids, MI see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 38% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 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 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 165 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 186 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 140 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 10 days longer, to about May 10, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 4 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eaton Rapids, 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 49251 →Compare Leslie with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Jackson Reynolds Field, MI, 14 miles south of Leslie, has a last frost 1 day later (May 1), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Leslie, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Leslie usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at East Lansing 4 S, MI, 15 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49251
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 49251 is 13 miles from Eaton Rapids, MI, which stands at 870 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 48827 (Eaton Rapids). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49251 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.