Lincoln, MI 48742 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lincoln, MI?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/08, roughly 253 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/16, about 160 frost-free days later.
Lincoln sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 7 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 05/08 isn't a guarantee
05/08 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/26 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lincoln compares
About 160 days separate Lincoln's last and first frost, putting it 32,513 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MI, it ranks 649 of 1,153.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Lincoln's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Lincoln's dates instead of trusting one.