USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 49945 — Lake Linden, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI (1,063 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Lake Linden, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 17 in half of years and has passed by June 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 138 days (NOAA, Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 17
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 138 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 18
- Last snow
- April 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lake Linden
Half of springs at Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI see their last 32°F night by May 17; only one in ten is past it by May 1, and one in ten still has one after June 3. Planting tender crops after May 24 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 30 20%, and after June 3 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 62% of the 172 Michigan stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 1 in half of years, as early as September 16 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 20, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 138 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 116 one year in ten. On average 175 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 15 days longer, to about June 1, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and April 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 16 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 3 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 13 |
| 32°F | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 24 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 28°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 24°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 16°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 3 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hancock Houghton Co 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 49945 →Compare Lake Linden with another place →
Weather by month in Lake Linden
July is the warmest month at Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI, averaging 75°F by day and 55°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 10°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 89% of years and June still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,605 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 96% of the 172 Michigan stations. 27% of them (428) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 467.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 10 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 25 | 9 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 34 | 17 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Apr | 46 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 13 |
| May | 61 | 40 | 89% | 5 | 114 |
| Jun | 71 | 49 | 16% | <1 | 300 |
| Jul | 75 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 467 |
| Aug | 74 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 439 |
| Sep | 66 | 47 | 45% | 1 | 225 |
| Oct | 52 | 37 | 99% | 9 | 44 |
| Nov | 38 | 26 | 100% | 23 | 3 |
| Dec | 28 | 16 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI (1,063 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, Jacobsville, MI, 13 miles southwest of Lake Linden and 413 feet lower, has a last frost 15 days later (June 1), a first frost 8 days earlier (September 23), a season 23 days shorter.
When it snows in Lake Linden, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lake Linden usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Copper Harbor Fort Wilkins, MI, 29.6 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49945
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 8 – March 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 19 – May 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 49945 is 7 miles from Hancock Houghton Co Airport, MI, which stands at 1,063 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 49931 (Houghton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49945 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.