Thorntown, IN 46071 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Thorntown, IN?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/27, about 242 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 167 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Thorntown, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Thorntown before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Thorntown compares
Thorntown's growing season runs about 167 days, ranking 30,058 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 845 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Thorntown can differ from the 46071 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Thorntown's frost date answer different questions.