Chatham, MI 49816 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Chatham, MI, ZIP 49816
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/27, about 272 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/28, about 124 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chatham 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
Zone 5a around Chatham has about 4 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 05/27 isn't a guarantee
05/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chatham compares
Chatham's growing season runs about 124 days, ranking 38,868 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MI, it ranks 1,083 of 1,153.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Chatham's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Chatham can differ from the 49816 normal.