Carson City, MI 48811 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Carson City, MI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 164 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Carson City, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Carson City before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Carson City compares
About 164 days separate Carson City's last and first frost, putting it 31,042 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MI, it ranks 499 of 1,153.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Carson City can differ from the 48811 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Carson City's frost date answer different questions.