USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 49749 — Indian River, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pellston Regional Airport, MI (705 ft), 14 miles northwest.
Updated
In Indian River, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 31 in half of years and has passed by June 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 18, as early as September 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 108 days (NOAA, Pellston Regional Airport, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 31
- First fall frost
- September 18
- Growing season
- 108 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 12
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 87.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Indian River
Half of springs at Pellston Regional Airport, MI see their last 32°F night by May 31; only one in ten is past it by May 16, and one in ten still has one after June 21. Planting tender crops after June 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 11 20%, and after June 21 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 18 in half of years, as early as September 2 one year in ten, and holds off past October 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 2, 19 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 108 days in a typical year, shorter than at 98% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 131 days one year in ten and falls short of 79 one year in ten. On average 180 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 16 | May 22 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 | Jun 11 | Jun 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 30 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 2 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 20°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 16°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 2 | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 |
| 28°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 17 |
| 24°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 20°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pellston Regional Airport, 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 49749 →Compare Indian River with another place →
Weather by month in Indian River
July is the warmest month at Pellston Regional Airport, MI, averaging 79°F by day and 53°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 9°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 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,796 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 172 Michigan stations. 30% of them (532) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 498. Precipitation totals 30.0 inches a year, most in October (4.2") and least in February (1.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 9 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 7 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 39 | 16 | 1.7 | 100% | 28 | 4 |
| Apr | 52 | 27 | 2.4 | 100% | 21 | 20 |
| May | 66 | 38 | 2.8 | 99% | 8 | 146 |
| Jun | 76 | 48 | 2.6 | 43% | 1 | 362 |
| Jul | 79 | 53 | 2.7 | 5% | 0 | 498 |
| Aug | 78 | 52 | 2.9 | 7% | <1 | 457 |
| Sep | 70 | 45 | 3.4 | 80% | 3 | 244 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 4.2 | 100% | 12 | 59 |
| Nov | 44 | 27 | 2.7 | 100% | 21 | 7 |
| Dec | 33 | 18 | 1.9 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pellston Regional Airport, MI (705 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, Cheboygan, MI, 17 miles north of Indian River, has a last frost 20 days earlier (May 11), a first frost 23 days later (October 11), a season 44 days longer.
When it snows in Indian River, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Indian River usually arrives around November 12, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Cheboygan, MI, 17.2 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 48 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49749
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 22 – April 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| May 3 – May 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by June 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 18 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 49749 is 14 miles from Pellston Regional Airport, MI, which stands at 705 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49749 in zone 4b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°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.