Frost Report

All states Indiana

Frost dates for Jt Myers Locks & Dam, 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 5

typical year

Safe to plant

April 21

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 31

typical year

Growing season

209 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 8 – 22 –
Spinach – Feb 22 – Mar 15 Sep 5 – 19
Lettuce – Mar 8 – 29 Sep 5 – 19
Radishes – Mar 8 – Apr 19 Sep 19 – Oct 3
Onions – Mar 8 – 22 –
Potatoes – Mar 15 – 29 –
Carrots – Mar 15 – Apr 5 Aug 8 – 22
Beets – Mar 8 – 22 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Kale Jan 25 – Feb 8 Mar 8 – 22 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Broccoli Jan 25 – Feb 8 Mar 22 – Apr 5 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Cabbage Jan 11 – 25 Mar 8 – 22 Aug 22 – Sep 5
Garlic – – Sep 19 – Oct 10
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Feb 24 – Mar 10 Apr 21 – May 5 –
Peppers Feb 17 – Mar 3 Apr 28 – May 12 –
Cucumbers – Apr 21 – May 12 –
Zucchini – Apr 21 – May 19 –
Pumpkins – Apr 21 – May 12 –
Green beans – Apr 21 – Aug 22 –
Sweet corn – Apr 21 – May 19 –
Basil Mar 17 – 31 Apr 28 – May 5 –

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 April 21April 5March 21
Fall frost before October 19October 31November 11

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 March 24 (April 9 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 8.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 7 towns.

Morganfield, KY, Shawneetown, IL, Uniontown, KY, Ridgway, IL, New Haven, IL, Old Shawneetown, IL, Junction, IL

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station JT MYERS LOCKS & DAM, IN US (USC00128967), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 6 zip codes, all within 16 miles:

42437, 42459, 42461, 62867, 62979, 62984

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