FrostDateCheck

Fulton, IN 46988 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Fulton, IN?

Zone 6a

The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/20, about 235 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/23, about 185 frost-free days later.

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fulton 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 Fulton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.

The actual range around Fulton's last frost

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. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.

How Fulton compares

Fulton's growing season runs about 185 days, ranking 23,319 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 391 of 927.

Learn more

local microclimates covers what one yard in Fulton can differ from the 46988 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Fulton's frost date answer different questions.