Cedar Lake, IN 46303 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Cedar Lake, IN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/29, roughly 244 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/16, about 171 frost-free days later.
Cedar Lake sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Cedar Lake before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Cedar Lake compares
Cedar Lake's growing season runs about 171 days, ranking 28,611 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 755 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Cedar Lake can differ from the 46303 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Cedar Lake's frost date answer different questions.