Frost Report

All states Michigan

Frost dates for Trout Lake, 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 21

typical year

Safe to plant

June 5

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 1

typical year

Growing season

131 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 – Apr 23 – May 7 –
Spinach – Apr 9 – 30 Aug 6 – 20
Lettuce – Apr 23 – May 14 Aug 6 – 20
Radishes – Apr 23 – Jun 4 Aug 20 – Sep 3
Onions – Apr 23 – May 7 –
Potatoes – Apr 30 – May 14 –
Carrots – Apr 30 – May 21 Jul 9 – 23
Beets – Apr 23 – May 7 Jul 23 – Aug 6
Kale Mar 12 – 26 Apr 23 – May 7 Jul 23 – Aug 6
Broccoli Mar 12 – 26 May 7 – 21 Jul 23 – Aug 6
Cabbage Feb 26 – Mar 12 Apr 23 – May 7 Jul 23 – Aug 6
Garlic – – Aug 20 – Sep 10
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Apr 10 – 24 Jun 5 – 19 –
Peppers Apr 3 – 17 Jun 12 – 26 –
Cucumbers – Jun 5 – 26 –
Zucchini – Jun 5 – Jul 3 –
Pumpkins – Jun 5 – 26 –
Green beans – Jun 5 – Jul 23 –
Sweet corn – Jun 5 – Jul 3 –
Basil May 1 – 15 Jun 12 – 19 –

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 June 5May 21May 4
Fall frost before September 14October 1October 15

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 6 (May 24 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 13.

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station TROUT LAKE 1SW, MI US (USC00208293), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 15 miles:

49728, 49748, 49762, 49793

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