Frost dates for Elwood, 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 24
typical year
Safe to plant
May 10
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 18
typical year
Growing season
175 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 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 27 – May 8 | Sep 6 – 20 |
| Onions | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 3 – 17 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 3 – 24 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| Beets | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – 27 | Apr 10 – 24 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Cabbage | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 6 – 27 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 15 – 29 | May 10 – 24 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 8 – 22 | May 17 – 31 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 10 – 31 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 10 – Jun 7 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 10 – 31 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 10 – Aug 9 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 10 – Jun 7 | – |
| Basil | Apr 5 – 19 | May 17 – 24 | – |
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 10 | April 24 | April 8 |
| Fall frost before | October 4 | October 18 | November 1 |
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 12 (April 30 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 30.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 6 towns.
Elwood, Alexandria, Frankton, Summitville, Windfall City, Orestes
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ELWOOD, IN US (USC00122638), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 7 zip codes, all within 12 miles:
46036, 46044, 46047, 46063, 46070, 46076, 46928
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.