USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 49713 — Boyne Falls, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Boyne Falls, MI (728 ft), 4 miles southwest.
Updated
In Boyne Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 23 in half of years and has passed by June 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 133 days (NOAA, Boyne Falls, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 23
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 133 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 7
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 111.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Boyne Falls
Half of springs at Boyne Falls, MI see their last 32°F night by May 23; only one in ten is past it by May 4, and one in ten still has one after June 6. Planting tender crops after May 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 1 20%, and after June 6 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 3 in half of years, as early as September 16 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 27, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 133 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 156 days one year in ten and falls short of 112 one year in ten. On average 160 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 10 days longer, to about June 2, and return around September 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 21 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 4 | Jun 8 | Jun 12 | Jun 21 |
| 32°F | May 4 | May 12 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 28°F | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 5 | May 10 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 27 |
| 24°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 8 | May 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 1 | Sep 7 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Boyne Falls, 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 49713 →Compare Boyne Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Boyne Falls
July is the warmest month at Boyne Falls, MI, averaging 84°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 28°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,556 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 172 Michigan stations. 32% of them (813) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 645. Precipitation totals 36.5 inches a year, most in October (4.4") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | 14 | 2.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 13 | 1.7 | 100% | 26 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 12 |
| Apr | 56 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 55 |
| May | 70 | 43 | 3.2 | 91% | 6 | 250 |
| Jun | 80 | 53 | 3.2 | 21% | <1 | 496 |
| Jul | 84 | 58 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Aug | 82 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.9 | 41% | 1 | 372 |
| Oct | 59 | 40 | 4.4 | 98% | 8 | 112 |
| Nov | 45 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 19 | 14 |
| Dec | 33 | 22 | 2.7 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Boyne Falls, MI (728 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, Petoskey Ncmc, MI, 12 miles north of Boyne Falls, has a last frost 7 days earlier (May 16), a first frost 6 days later (October 9), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Boyne Falls, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Boyne Falls usually arrives around November 7, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Boyne Falls, MI, 3.7 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 49713
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 14 – March 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 25 – May 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 49713 is 4 miles from Boyne Falls, MI, which stands at 728 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 49712 (Boyne City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49713 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.