Frost dates for Houghton, MI
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
May 17
typical year
Safe to plant
June 3
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 1
typical year
Growing season
138 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 | – | Apr 19 – May 3 | – |
| Spinach | – | Apr 5 – 26 | Aug 6 – 20 |
| Lettuce | – | Apr 19 – May 10 | Aug 6 – 20 |
| Radishes | – | Apr 19 – May 31 | Aug 20 – Sep 3 |
| Onions | – | Apr 19 – May 3 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 26 – May 10 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 9 – 23 |
| Beets | – | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| Kale | Mar 8 – 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| Broccoli | Mar 8 – 22 | May 3 – 17 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| Cabbage | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jul 23 – Aug 6 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 20 – Sep 10 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 8 – 22 | Jun 3 – 17 | – |
| Peppers | Apr 1 – 15 | Jun 10 – 24 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jun 3 – 24 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jun 3 – Jul 1 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Jun 3 – 24 | – |
| Green beans | – | Jun 3 – Jul 23 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jun 3 – Jul 1 | – |
| Basil | Apr 29 – May 13 | Jun 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 | June 3 | May 17 | May 1 |
| Fall frost before | September 16 | October 1 | October 18 |
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 May 2 (May 20 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 14.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 8 towns.
Houghton, Hancock, Laurium, Lake Linden, South Range, Calumet, Copper City, Ahmeek
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station HANCOCK HOUGHTON CO AP, MI US (USW00014858), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 12 zip codes, all within 14 miles:
49805, 49901, 49905, 49913, 49917, 49921, 49922, 49930, 49931, 49934, 49942, 49945
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.