Frost Report

All states Indiana

Frost dates for Dubois S In Forage Fm, 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 25

typical year

Safe to plant

May 12

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 15

typical year

Growing season

172 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Mar 28 – Apr 11 –
Spinach – Mar 14 – Apr 4 Aug 20 – Sep 3
Lettuce – Mar 28 – Apr 18 Aug 20 – Sep 3
Radishes – Mar 28 – May 9 Sep 3 – 17
Onions – Mar 28 – Apr 11 –
Potatoes – Apr 4 – 18 –
Carrots – Apr 4 – 25 Jul 23 – Aug 6
Beets – Mar 28 – Apr 11 Aug 6 – 20
Kale Feb 14 – 28 Mar 28 – Apr 11 Aug 6 – 20
Broccoli Feb 14 – 28 Apr 11 – 25 Aug 6 – 20
Cabbage Jan 31 – Feb 14 Mar 28 – Apr 11 Aug 6 – 20
Garlic – – Sep 3 – 24
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 17 – 31 May 12 – 26 –
Peppers Mar 10 – 24 May 19 – Jun 2 –
Cucumbers – May 12 – Jun 2 –
Zucchini – May 12 – Jun 9 –
Pumpkins – May 12 – Jun 2 –
Green beans – May 12 – Aug 6 –
Sweet corn – May 12 – Jun 9 –
Basil Apr 7 – 21 May 19 – 26 –

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 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 12April 25April 10
Fall frost before October 3October 15October 26

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 13 (May 2 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 25.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station DUBOIS S IN FORAGE FM, IN US (USC00122309), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 2 zip codes, all within 5 miles:

47432, 47527

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.