New Castle, IN 47362 Frost Dates
When can you plant in New Castle, IN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/27, roughly 242 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 173 frost-free days later.
New Castle sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 New Castle 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
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 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 New Castle compares
About 173 days separate New Castle's last and first frost, putting it 27,803 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IN, it ranks 706 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in New Castle can differ from the 47362 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and New Castle's frost date answer different questions.