Two of the most important dates for any gardener to know (especially vegetable gardeners) are the frost dates for your area. The spring frost date is the estimated day of the last hard frost of winter. The fall frost date is the estimated day of the first hard, killing frost of late autumn.
The spring frost date is largely considered the first day of the outdoor gardening season. After this day it is unlikely that you will get a hard frost that would kill tender plants.
The fall frost date is basically the end of the outdoor gardening season for tender plants including most garden vegetables (unless you use season extenders such as row covers, cold frames, etc.).
The following is a list of the spring and fall frost dates for many Michigan communities. These dates come from data at the National Climatic Data Center web site and should be considered more of a guideline rather that information that is set in stone. Some years will be a little warmer and some a little cooler. In a cool and rainy spring you might want to wait a week or two longer to plant out your tomatoes. If you’re having a particularly warm fall you can probably count on an additional 2 or 3 weeks of harvesting cucumbers and zucchini. Pay attention to your environment (and your local weather reports) and act accordingly.
| Community | Spring | Fall |
|---|---|---|
| Adrian | May 17 | September 24 |
| Allegan | May 26 | September 23 |
| Alma | May 19 | September 24 |
| Alpena | May 19 | September 28 |
| Ann Arbor | May 10 | October 5 |
| Atlanta | June 10 | September 8 |
| Bad Axe | May 22 | September 27 |
| Baldwin | June 11 | September 5 |
| Battle Creek | May 24 | September 22 |
| Benton Harbor | May 21 | September 30 |
| Bergland | June 16 | August 31 |
| Big Rapids | June 1 | September 12 |
| Bloomingdale | May 29 | September 19 |
| Boyne | June 19 | September 3 |
| Cadillac | June 21 | September 2 |
| Caro | June 1 | September 15 |
| Champion | July 9 | August 17 |
| Charlotte | May 24 | September 20 |
| Cheboygan | May 29 | September 24 |
| Coldwater | May 15 | September 26 |
| Cross Village | June 6 | September 26 |
| Dearborn | May 13 | September 29 |
| Detour Village | May 24 | September 28 |
| Detroit | May 10 | October 4 |
| Dowagiac | May 22 | September 24 |
| East Jordan | June 10 | September 8 |
| East Lansing | May 21 | September 23 |
| East Tawas | June 3 | September 18 |
| Eau Claire | May 10 | October 11 |
| Escanaba | May 21 | September 26 |
| Flint | May 21 | September 28 |
| Frankfort | May 23 | October 4 |
| Gaylord | June 11 | September 8 |
| Gladwin | June 4 | September 15 |
| Grand Haven | May 6 | October 10 |
| Grand Marais | July 1 | September 3 |
| Grand Rapids | May 16 | September 28 |
| Grayling | June 21 | August 31 |
| Greenville | May 26 | September 18 |
| Grosse Pointe Farms | May 7 | October 11 |
| Gull Lake | May 14 | September 29 |
| Hale | May 30 | September 19 |
| Harbor Beach | May 16 | September 30 |
| Harrisville | May 27 | September 26 |
| Hart | May 27 | September 25 |
| Hastings | May 25 | September 23 |
| Herman | June 30 | August 26 |
| Hesperia | June 9 | September 9 |
| Hillsdale | May 27 | September 21 |
| Holland | May 21 | September 29 |
| Houghton Lake | June 27 | August 25 |
| Ionia | May 22 | September 21 |
| Iron Mountain | June 7 | September 11 |
| Ironwood | June 12 | September 8 |
| Jackson | May 20 | September 25 |
| Kalkaska | June 14 | September 1 |
| Kenton | July 1 | August 19 |
| Lake City | June 21 | September 7 |
| Lansing | May 28 | September 19 |
| Lapeer | May 26 | September 18 |
| Ludington | May 31 | September 21 |
| Lupton | June 25 | August 31 |
| Manistee | May 29 | September 23 |
| Manistique | May 30 | September 18 |
| Maple City | June 9 | September 19 |
| Marquette | May 26 | October 1 |
| Midland | May 19 | September 23 |
| Milford | May 16 | September 28 |
| Mio | June 7 | September 11 |
| Monroe | May 6 | October 6 |
| Montague | June 6 | September 13 |
| Mount Clemens | May 10 | October 6 |
| Mt Pleasant | May 18 | September 24 |
| Munising | June 13 | September 15 |
| Muskegon | May 18 | September 24 |
| Newberry | June 16 | September 7 |
| Onaway | May 30 | September 17 |
| Owosso | May 21 | September 25 |
| Pellston | June 14 | September 1 |
| Petoskey | May 26 | September 29 |
| Port Huron | May 11 | October 3 |
| Saginaw | May 12 | September 28 |
| St James | June 2 | September 29 |
| St Johns | May 18 | September 27 |
| Sandusky | May 19 | September 26 |
| Sault Ste Marie | June 12 | September 11 |
| Seney | June 9 | September 8 |
| South Haven | May 8 | October 9 |
| Stambaugh | July 1 | August 21 |
| Standish | June 1 | September 15 |
| Stephenson | June 13 | September 6 |
| Tahquamenon Falls | July 9 | August 23 |
| Three Rivers | May 17 | September 27 |
| Vanderbilt | July 7 | August 19 |
| West Branch | June 2 | September 13 |
| Whitefish Point | June 15 | September 17 |
| Ypsilanti | May 5 | October 5 |
