Frost dates for Grand Rapids, Michigan
In Grand Rapids, half of springs have had their last frost by April 29 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 15), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 20, leaving about 174 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Last spring frost
April 29
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 15: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 20
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 4.
Growing season
174 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 151.
Hardiness zone
6a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −10°F to −5°F. It was 6a on the 2012 map too. All 8 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 6a.
Print a year planner for Grand Rapids
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | April 14 | April 29 | May 15 |
| First frost in fall | October 4 | October 20 | November 2 |
The frost-free season between them runs 174 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 195 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 151 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 16 and first on November 2. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on May 7 and first on October 7. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in Grand Rapids comes between April 14 and May 15, a window of 31 days. That is about average for NOAA's stations (the typical window is 31 days).
Among Michigan's 211 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 86 percent have their typical last frost later than Grand Rapids does.
Planting calendar for Grand Rapids
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| February | ||
| February 11 to March 11 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 25 to March 25 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 11 to April 1 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 18 to April 1 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 25 to April 8 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 1 to 15 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 1 to 15 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 15 to 29 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 15 to 29 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 29 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May | ||
| May 13 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 13 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 25 to June 8 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 13 |
| June | ||
| June 14 to 28 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 2 |
| July | ||
| July 24 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| July 28 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 29 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August | ||
| August 2 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 3 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| August 7 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 17 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 27 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 6 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 4 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| November | ||
| November 9 to 16 | Garlic Plant cloves | one or two weeks after the typical first hard freeze (28°F), our reading of the first killing frost |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 16 days later. That plans around May 15, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Grand Rapids (station USW00094860), 7 miles from the center of Grand Rapids. It sits at about the same elevation, 780 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Wyoming, Kentwood, Walker, Grandville and East Grand Rapids.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 25 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 49301, 49302, 49306, 49315, 49316, 49321, 49331, 49335, 49418, 49428, 49435, 49503, 49504, 49505, 49506, 49507, 49508, 49509, 49512, 49519, 49525, 49534, 49544, 49546, 49548. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Lansing, Michigan: last frost around May 1, first frost around October 13 (60 miles away)
- Ann Arbor, Michigan: last frost around May 8, first frost around October 4 (110 miles away)
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin: last frost around April 19, first frost around October 29 (115 miles away)
See frost dates across Michigan, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.