Frost dates for Sterling Heights, Michigan
In Sterling Heights, half of springs have had their last frost by April 30 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after May 15), and half of falls have had their first frost by October 24, 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
Sterling Heights, Michigan
Last spring frost
April 30
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 24
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by October 7.
Growing season
174 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 153.
Hardiness zone
6b
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages −5°F to 0°F. On the 2012 map it was 6a, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 1 in 6a and 12 in 6b.
Print a year planner for Sterling Heights
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 16 | April 30 | May 15 |
| First frost in fall | October 7 | October 24 | November 3 |
The frost-free season between them runs 174 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 192 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 153 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on April 18 and first on November 3. 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 11 and first on October 9. 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 Sterling Heights comes between April 16 and May 15, a window of 29 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, 80 percent have their typical last frost later than Sterling Heights does.
Planting calendar for Sterling Heights
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 12 to March 12 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
| February 26 to March 26 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| March | ||
| March 12 to April 2 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| March 19 to April 2 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| March 26 to April 9 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| April | ||
| April 2 to 16 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 2 to 16 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 16 to 30 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| April 30 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| May | ||
| May 14 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 14 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| May 29 to June 12 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by July 17 |
| June | ||
| June 18 to July 2 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 6 |
| July | ||
| July 28 | 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 |
| August | ||
| August 1 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 2 | 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 6 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 7 | 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 11 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 21 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| August 31 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September | ||
| September 10 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 7 | 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 10 to 17 | 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 15 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 Mount Clemens Ang Base (station USW00014804), 10 miles from the center of Sterling Heights. It sits at about the same elevation, 580 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 Mount Clemens, Fraser and New Baltimore.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 16 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 48026, 48035, 48036, 48038, 48042, 48043, 48044, 48045, 48047, 48048, 48051, 48082, 48313, 48314, 48315, 48317. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Detroit, Michigan: last frost around April 21, first frost around October 31 (15 miles away)
- Ann Arbor, Michigan: last frost around May 8, first frost around October 4 (40 miles away)
- Toledo, Ohio: last frost around April 20, first frost around October 27 (70 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.