Lincoln, MI 48728 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lincoln, MI?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/20, roughly 265 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/01, about 133 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lincoln in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Lincoln before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/20 isn't a guarantee
05/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lincoln compares
About 133 days separate Lincoln's last and first frost, putting it 38,127 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MI, it ranks 1,013 of 1,153.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Lincoln can differ from the 48728 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Lincoln's frost date answer different questions.