USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 49656 — Luther, Michigan
Averages from Wellston 1n, Mi US, the nearest reporting station, 17.6 miles away.
Plant tender crops after May 28, and expect the first autumn freeze around September 25. That leaves about 119 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- May 28
- First fall frost
- September 25
- Growing season
- 119 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
-20 to -15°F annual low
- First snow
- November 8
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 119.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
When it snows in Luther, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Luther, Michigan usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wellston 1n, Mi US: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow.
For a gardener, snow matters less than frost: a light snow on frozen ground changes nothing, while a hard frost on an unprotected bed ends the season. Use the frost dates above for planting and the snow dates for getting hoses drained, mulch down and tender pots indoors.
Planting calendar for 49656
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 19 – April 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 30 – May 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 25 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after May 28 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Luther, Michigan are past their last freeze. Harvest before September 25, which leaves roughly 119 frost-free days.
ZIP 49656 sits in USDA hardiness zone 5a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between -20 to -15°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.