South Bend, IN 46628 Frost Dates
Frost dates for South Bend, IN, ZIP 46628
Around 05/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 246 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 170 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts South Bend 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
Zone 6a around South Bend 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/16 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How South Bend compares
South Bend's growing season runs about 170 days, ranking 28,880 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 797 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in South Bend can differ from the 46628 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and South Bend's frost date answer different questions.