Indianapolis, IN 46242 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Indianapolis, IN?
Around 04/20 is the usual last spring frost, about 235 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 183 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Indianapolis in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Indianapolis 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
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/06 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Indianapolis compares
About 183 days separate Indianapolis's last and first frost, putting it 23,709 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IN, it ranks 401 of 927.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Indianapolis's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Indianapolis's dates instead of trusting one.