Frost dates for Bloomington, IN
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 15
typical year
Safe to plant
May 3
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 26
typical year
Growing season
192 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 4 – 25 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 18 – Apr 8 | Aug 31 – Sep 14 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 18 – Apr 29 | Sep 14 – 28 |
| Onions | – | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Aug 3 – 17 |
| Beets | – | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Aug 17 – 31 |
| Kale | Feb 4 – 18 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Aug 17 – 31 |
| Broccoli | Feb 4 – 18 | Apr 1 – 15 | Aug 17 – 31 |
| Cabbage | Jan 21 – Feb 4 | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | Aug 17 – 31 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 14 – Oct 5 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 8 – 22 | May 3 – 17 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 1 – 15 | May 10 – 24 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 3 – 24 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 3 – 31 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 3 – 24 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 3 – Aug 17 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 3 – 31 | – |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – 17 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | May 3 | April 15 | March 31 |
| Fall frost before | October 11 | October 26 | November 9 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 2 (April 22 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 4.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.
Bloomington, Nashville
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station BLOOMINGTON INDIANA UNIV, IN US (USC00120784), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 15 miles:
47401, 47404, 47405, 47406, 47408, 47448, 47458
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.