USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 49908 — Baraga, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Baraga 7NW, MI (652 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Baraga, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 25 in half of years and has passed by June 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 23, as early as September 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 119 days (NOAA, Baraga 7NW, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 25
- First fall frost
- September 23
- Growing season
- 119 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
- October 14
- Last snow
- May 3
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 207.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Baraga
Half of springs at Baraga 7NW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 25; only one in ten is past it by May 9, and one in ten still has one after June 9. Planting tender crops after May 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 3 20%, and after June 9 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 55% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 23 in half of years, as early as September 7 one year in ten, and holds off past October 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 119 days in a typical year, shorter than at 94% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 142 days one year in ten and falls short of 100 one year in ten. On average 195 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 11 days longer, to about June 5, and return around September 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and April 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 24 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 5 | Jun 9 | Jun 12 | Jun 16 | Jun 21 |
| 32°F | May 9 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 9 |
| 28°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 21 | May 28 |
| 24°F | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 14 |
| 20°F | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 25 | Sep 1 | Sep 4 | Sep 7 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 27 |
| 32°F | Sep 7 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 28°F | Sep 19 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 22 |
| 24°F | Oct 1 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Baraga 7NW, 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 49908 →Compare Baraga with another place →
Weather by month in Baraga
July is the warmest month at Baraga 7NW, MI, averaging 80°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 7°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 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,694 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 93% of the 172 Michigan stations. 28% of them (470) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 517.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 5 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 37 | 13 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Apr | 50 | 26 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| May | 64 | 37 | 98% | 9 | 121 |
| Jun | 75 | 47 | 29% | 1 | 336 |
| Jul | 80 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 517 |
| Aug | 77 | 51 | 1% | 0 | 433 |
| Sep | 69 | 44 | 70% | 3 | 224 |
| Oct | 55 | 34 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| Nov | 40 | 24 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Dec | 29 | 14 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Baraga 7NW, MI (652 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, Herman, MI, 11 miles southeast of Baraga and 1,065 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (May 31), a first frost 1 day earlier (September 22), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Baraga, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Baraga usually arrives around October 14, and the last of the season around May 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Herman, MI, 11.4 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49908
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 16 – March 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 27 – May 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 23 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 49908 is 4 miles from Baraga 7NW, MI, which stands at 652 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49908 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.