USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 49696 — Traverse City, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Traverse City Munson, MI (635 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Traverse City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 156 days (NOAA, Traverse City Munson, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 156 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 12
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 101"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Traverse City
Half of springs at Traverse City Munson, MI see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 23 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 80% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 156 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 177 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 154 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 22, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Traverse City Munson, 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 49696 →Compare Traverse City with another place →
Weather by month in Traverse City
July is the warmest month at Traverse City Munson, MI, averaging 79°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 15°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,173 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 172 Michigan stations. 29% of them (640) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 586. Precipitation totals 36.2 inches a year, most in October (4.1") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 15 | 2.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 14 | 2.0 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 21 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 8 |
| Apr | 52 | 31 | 3.4 | 100% | 19 | 35 |
| May | 65 | 42 | 3.5 | 77% | 3 | 180 |
| Jun | 75 | 53 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 418 |
| Jul | 79 | 58 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Aug | 78 | 57 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 3.6 | 9% | 0 | 314 |
| Oct | 57 | 39 | 4.1 | 88% | 5 | 83 |
| Nov | 44 | 30 | 3.2 | 100% | 18 | 7 |
| Dec | 33 | 22 | 2.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Traverse City Munson, MI (635 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, 5 miles south of Traverse City, has a last frost 3 days later (May 12), a first frost 1 day later (October 16), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Traverse City, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Traverse City usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Traverse City Munson, MI, 5.1 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 24 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49696
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 49696 is 5 miles from Traverse City Munson, MI, which stands at 635 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 49684 (Traverse City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49696 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.