Lowell, IN 46356 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Lowell, IN, ZIP 46356
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/29, about 244 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/16, about 171 frost-free days later.
Lowell 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
Zone 5b around Lowell has about 7 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
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 Lowell compares
Lowell's growing season runs about 171 days, ranking 28,612 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 756 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Lowell can differ from the 46356 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and Lowell's frost date answer different questions.