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USDA Hardiness Zone 6a

Frost Dates for 49327 — Grant, Michigan

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kent City 2 SW, MI (840 ft), 10 miles south.

Updated

In Grant, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 14 in half of years and has passed by May 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 29, as early as September 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 135 days (NOAA, Kent City 2 SW, MI).

Last spring frost
May 14

50% probability

First fall frost
September 29

50% probability

Growing season
135 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
6a

-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night

First snow
November 22

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 28

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

20 of 20 observed

Snow per year
48"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Grant

Half of springs at Kent City 2 SW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 14; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 31. Planting tender crops after May 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 26 20%, and after May 31 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 September 29 in half of years, as early as September 14 one year in ten, and holds off past October 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 19, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 135 days in a typical year, shorter than at 78% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 157 days one year in ten and falls short of 113 one year in ten. On average 167 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 15 days longer, to about May 29, and return around September 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and April 1.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 9May 17May 22May 25May 29May 31Jun 3Jun 7Jun 13
32°FApr 29May 3May 6May 10May 14May 18May 22May 26May 31
28°FApr 20Apr 24Apr 28Apr 30May 2May 5May 9May 14May 19
24°FApr 10Apr 14Apr 18Apr 20Apr 23Apr 26Apr 30May 3May 8
20°FMar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 9Apr 12Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21Apr 28
16°FMar 16Mar 22Mar 26Mar 30Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 11Apr 16
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FAug 30Sep 5Sep 10Sep 14Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 14Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
24°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 7
20°FOct 21Oct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 21Nov 27
16°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kent City 2 SW, 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 49327 →Compare Grant with another place →

Compared with the next station

The nearest other station, Fremont 4 WSW, MI, 12 miles northwest of Grant, has a last frost 6 days earlier (May 8), a first frost 12 days later (October 11), a season 20 days longer.

Frost dates for 49337 (Newaygo) →

When it snows in Grant, Michigan

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Grant usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Kent City 2 SW, MI, 10.1 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 47 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 49327

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Grant, Michigan
WhenWhat to do
March 5 – March 19Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 19 – April 2Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 16 – April 30Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 14 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 7Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 15Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 29 onwardPlant 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 49327 is 10 miles from Kent City 2 SW, MI, which stands at 840 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 49319 (Cedar Springs). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49327 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.

Frost dates across Michigan →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 6a places in Michigan