Grand Rapids, MI 49504 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Grand Rapids, MI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/06, about 251 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 157 frost-free days later.
Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/06 isn't a guarantee
05/06 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/24 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/23 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Grand Rapids compares
Grand Rapids's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,193 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MI, it ranks 684 of 1,153.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Grand Rapids's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Grand Rapids can differ from the 49504 normal.