Frost dates for Lansing, Michigan
In Lansing, half of springs have had their last frost by May 1 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 18), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 13, leaving about 162 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
Lansing, Michigan
Last spring frost
May 1
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until May 18: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
October 13
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by September 29.
Growing season
162 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 141.
Hardiness zone
6a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −10°F to −5°F. On the 2012 map it was 5b, half a zone colder. All 11 ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center are in zone 6a.
Print a year planner for Lansing
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 18 | May 1 | May 18 |
| First frost in fall | September 29 | October 13 | October 28 |
The frost-free season between them runs 162 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 183 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 141 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 21 and first on October 27. 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 13 and first on October 1. 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 Lansing comes between April 18 and May 18, a window of 30 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, 75 percent have their typical last frost later than Lansing does.
Planting calendar for Lansing
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.
Your season is too short for a separate fall planting of cabbage: sown late enough to be a fall crop, it wouldn't be ready before the typical first frost. Your spring planting is your harvest.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| February | ||
| February 13 to March 13 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 27 to March 27 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 13 to April 3 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 20 to April 3 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 27 to April 10 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 3 to 17 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 3 to 17 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 17 to May 1 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 17 to May 1 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| May | ||
| May 1 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May 15 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 15 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| June | ||
| June 7 to 21 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 26 |
| July | ||
| July 17 | 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 21 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 22 | 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 |
| July 26 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| July 27 | 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 |
| July 31 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August | ||
| August 10 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 20 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 30 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 29 | 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 3 to 10 | 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 17 days later. That plans around May 18, 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 Lansing Capital City Airport (station USW00014836), 5 miles from the center of Lansing. It sits at about the same elevation, 840 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 East Lansing.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 10 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 48808, 48820, 48822, 48823, 48837, 48906, 48912, 48915, 48917, 48933. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
The nearest other places with pages
- Ann Arbor, Michigan: last frost around May 8, first frost around October 4 (50 miles away)
- Grand Rapids, Michigan: last frost around April 29, first frost around October 20 (60 miles away)
- Detroit, Michigan: last frost around April 21, first frost around October 31 (80 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.