Washington, IN 47501 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Washington, IN?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/10, about 225 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/25, about 197 frost-free days later.
Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Washington, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Washington before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/10 isn't a guarantee
04/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/27 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Washington compares
About 197 days separate Washington's last and first frost, putting it 18,640 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IN, it ranks 128 of 927.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Washington can differ from the 47501 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6b and Washington's frost date answer different questions.