Frost dates for Grand Rapids, Michigan
In a typical year, Grand Rapids’s last spring frost lands around May 6 and the first fall frost around Oct 10, a growing season of about 157 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 6a.
Right now the typical frost season has arrived; planting waits for spring.
| Odds | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 percent | Apr 24 | Sep 29 |
| 50 percent | May 6 | Oct 10 |
| 90 percent | May 23 | Oct 25 |
A 10 percent year is an early year, a 90 percent year a late one. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the 90 percent side of the last-frost band.
Soil in Grand Rapids is typically around 49°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.
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Common questions
When is the last frost in Grand Rapids, Michigan?
Grand Rapids’s last spring frost falls around May 6 in a typical year. One year in ten it is done by April 24, and one year in ten frost holds on until May 23. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the late side of that band.
When is the first fall frost in Grand Rapids?
The first fall frost arrives around October 10 in a typical year, as early as September 29 in an early year and as late as October 25 in a late one.
How long is the growing season in Grand Rapids?
About 157 days, counted between the typical last spring frost and the typical first fall frost.
What USDA zone is Grand Rapids in?
Grand Rapids is in USDA hardiness zone 6a under the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Dates come from 30-year NOAA climate normals for the nearest reporting station. They describe odds, not a forecast.
Nearby cities
- Portage, MI (around Apr 28 to Oct 18)
- Lansing, MI (around May 1 to Oct 13)
- Saginaw, MI (around Apr 29 to Oct 21)
- South Bend, IN (around Apr 23 to Oct 23)
- Ann Arbor, MI (around May 8 to Oct 4)
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