Ypsilanti, MI 48197 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ypsilanti, MI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/05, about 250 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 157 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Ypsilanti 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 6 weeks of growing season left in Ypsilanti 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
05/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/20 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ypsilanti compares
Ypsilanti's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,243 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MI, it ranks 697 of 1,153.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Ypsilanti can differ from the 48197 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Ypsilanti's frost date answer different questions.