USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 49424 — Holland, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Holland Wtp, MI (617 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Holland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 178 days (NOAA, Holland Wtp, MI).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 178 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 22
- Last snow
- March 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Holland
Half of springs at Holland Wtp, MI see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 178 days in a typical year, longer than at 93% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 132 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 11 days longer, to about May 8, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 16 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 16 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Holland Wtp, 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 49424 →Compare Holland with another place →
Weather by month in Holland
July is the warmest month at Holland Wtp, MI, averaging 79°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 20°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,531 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations. 32% of them (809) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 642.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 20 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 22 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 54 | 37 | 99% | 10 | 63 |
| May | 66 | 48 | 34% | 1 | 247 |
| Jun | 74 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 484 |
| Jul | 79 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Aug | 77 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Sep | 71 | 54 | 3% | <1 | 375 |
| Oct | 58 | 43 | 73% | 2 | 109 |
| Nov | 45 | 34 | 99% | 15 | 13 |
| Dec | 34 | 26 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Holland Wtp, MI (617 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, Holland Tulip City Airport, MI, 6 miles south of Holland, has a last frost 1 day later (April 28), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 21), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Holland, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Holland usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Holland Wtp, MI, 4.3 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 40 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49424
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 49424 is 4 miles from Holland Wtp, MI, which stands at 617 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49424 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.