Bristol, IN 46507 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bristol, IN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/26, roughly 241 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 175 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bristol in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Bristol 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
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bristol compares
At roughly 175 frost-free days, Bristol places 27,002 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IN, it ranks 634 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bristol can differ from the 46507 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Bristol's frost date answer different questions.