West Lafayette, IN 47906 Frost Dates
When can you plant in West Lafayette, IN?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/26, about 241 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 169 frost-free days later.
West Lafayette 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 6 weeks of growing season left in West Lafayette before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How West Lafayette compares
About 169 days separate West Lafayette's last and first frost, putting it 29,320 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IN, it ranks 810 of 927.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and West Lafayette's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around West Lafayette's dates instead of trusting one.