Frost dates for Whitehall, 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 19
typical year
Safe to plant
June 6
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 4
typical year
Growing season
136 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 21 – May 5 | – |
| Spinach | – | Apr 7 – 28 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Lettuce | – | Apr 21 – May 12 | Aug 9 – 23 |
| Radishes | – | Apr 21 – Jun 2 | Aug 23 – Sep 6 |
| Onions | – | Apr 21 – May 5 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 28 – May 12 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jul 12 – 26 |
| Beets | – | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| Kale | Mar 10 – 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – 24 | May 5 – 19 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| Cabbage | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | Apr 21 – May 5 | Jul 26 – Aug 9 |
| Garlic | – | – | Aug 23 – Sep 13 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Apr 11 – 25 | Jun 6 – 20 | – |
| Peppers | Apr 4 – 18 | Jun 13 – 27 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Jun 6 – 27 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Jun 6 – Jul 4 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Jun 6 – 27 | – |
| Green beans | – | Jun 6 – Jul 26 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Jun 6 – Jul 4 | – |
| Basil | May 2 – 16 | Jun 13 – 20 | – |
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 6 | May 19 | May 1 |
| Fall frost before | September 16 | October 4 | October 20 |
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 5 (May 26 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 18.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 5 towns.
Whitehall, Montague, Lakewood Club, New Era, Rothbury
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station MONTAGUE 4 NW, MI US (USC00205567), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 9 miles:
49437, 49446, 49452, 49461
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.