USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 49946 — Lanse, Michigan
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Herman, MI (1,717 ft), 7 miles south.
Updated
In Lanse, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 31 in half of years and has passed by June 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 22, as early as September 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 115 days (NOAA, Herman, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 31
- First fall frost
- September 22
- Growing season
- 115 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 Lanse
Half of springs at Herman, MI see their last 32°F night by May 31; only one in ten is past it by May 12, and one in ten still has one after June 17. Planting tender crops after June 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 10 20%, and after June 17 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 September 22 in half of years, as early as September 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around October 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is June 1, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 115 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 172 Michigan stations; it reaches 139 days one year in ten and falls short of 86 one year in ten. On average 199 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and April 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | May 12 | May 18 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 6 | Jun 10 | Jun 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 | Jun 1 |
| 24°F | Apr 18 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 20°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 16°F | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 32°F | Sep 4 | Sep 10 | Sep 15 | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 |
| 28°F | Sep 17 | Sep 23 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Sep 30 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Herman, 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 49946 →Compare Lanse with another place →
Weather by month in Lanse
July is the warmest month at Herman, MI, averaging 75°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 19°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,543 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 172 Michigan stations. 30% of them (470) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 439. Precipitation totals 38.3 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | 7 | 2.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 23 | 7 | 1.8 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 34 | 14 | 2.3 | 100% | 29 | 3 |
| Apr | 47 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 16 |
| May | 62 | 39 | 3.4 | 97% | 10 | 139 |
| Jun | 71 | 49 | 3.5 | 46% | 1 | 312 |
| Jul | 75 | 54 | 4.6 | 3% | 0 | 439 |
| Aug | 73 | 52 | 3.3 | 5% | <1 | 386 |
| Sep | 65 | 46 | 4.2 | 69% | 3 | 201 |
| Oct | 50 | 35 | 4.4 | 100% | 16 | 44 |
| Nov | 36 | 23 | 3.0 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
| Dec | 24 | 13 | 2.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Herman, MI (1,717 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, Baraga 7NW, MI, 11 miles west of Lanse and 1,065 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days earlier (May 25), a first frost 1 day later (September 23), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Lanse, Michigan
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Lanse 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, 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 49946
| 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 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 22 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 49946 is 7 miles from Herman, MI, which stands at 1,717 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 49946 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.