USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 49629 — Elk Rapids, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Old Mission 3SSW, MI (656 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Elk Rapids, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 13 in half of years and has passed by May 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 158 days (NOAA, Old Mission 3SSW, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 13
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 158 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 11
- Last snow
- April 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 114.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elk Rapids
Half of springs at Old Mission 3SSW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 13; only one in ten is past it by April 28, and one in ten still has one after May 29. Planting tender crops after May 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 25 20%, and after May 29 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 19 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 19, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 158 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 157 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 May 26, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 |
| 32°F | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 | May 29 |
| 28°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 19 |
| 24°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 5 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 20°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Old Mission 3SSW, 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 49629 →Compare Elk Rapids with another place →
Weather by month in Elk Rapids
July is the warmest month at Old Mission 3SSW, MI, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 17°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,248 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 172 Michigan stations. 29% of them (648) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 583.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 17 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 16 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 100% | 27 | 7 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 100% | 19 | 33 |
| May | 66 | 43 | 76% | 5 | 187 |
| Jun | 76 | 52 | 5% | <1 | 421 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 569 |
| Sep | 71 | 51 | 9% | <1 | 342 |
| Oct | 58 | 41 | 77% | 4 | 93 |
| Nov | 46 | 33 | 99% | 17 | 13 |
| Dec | 35 | 25 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Old Mission 3SSW, MI (656 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, Traverse City Cherry Cptl Airport, MI, 14 miles southwest of Elk Rapids, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 12), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 16), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Elk Rapids, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elk Rapids usually arrives around November 11, and the last of the season around April 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at NW Michigan Rsch Farm, MI, 13.2 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49629
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 4 – March 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 15 – April 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 49629 is 6 miles from Old Mission 3SSW, MI, which stands at 656 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 49682 (Suttons Bay). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49629 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.