Stephenson, MI 49893 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Stephenson, MI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/22, about 267 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/27, about 126 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 Stephenson, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 4 weeks of growing season left in Stephenson before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Stephenson's last frost
05/22 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 05/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 06/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Stephenson compares
Stephenson's growing season runs about 126 days, ranking 38,700 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within MI, it ranks 1,070 of 1,153.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Stephenson can differ from the 49893 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Stephenson's frost date answer different questions.