Spencer, IN 47460 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Spencer, IN?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/20, roughly 235 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 180 frost-free days later.
Spencer 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 8 weeks of growing season left in Spencer before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/20 isn't a guarantee
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. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Spencer compares
Spencer's growing season runs about 180 days, ranking 24,882 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IN, it ranks 491 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Spencer can differ from the 47460 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Spencer's frost date answer different questions.