Chatham, MI 49825 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chatham, MI?
Around 05/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 275 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/27, about 119 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Chatham, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in Chatham before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/30 isn't a guarantee
05/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/21 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chatham compares
About 119 days separate Chatham's last and first frost, putting it 39,180 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within MI, it ranks 1,111 of 1,153.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Chatham's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Chatham can differ from the 49825 normal.