Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Carmel, IN
Carmel, IN sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 21 and its first of fall around October 21 — a 183-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 5 | Nov 2 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 21 | Oct 21 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 8 | Oct 6 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 183 days median, at least 160 in 9 years of 10, at least 204 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 8 and first of Nov 1.
Carmel planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 21) and median first frost (Oct 21) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 27 | Mar 24 | Jul 12 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 21 | May 21 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 7 | Apr 7 | May 22 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 24 | May 5 | Jul 4 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 24 | Apr 28 | Jul 12 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 10 | May 5 | Aug 8 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 24 | Apr 28 | Jul 12 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 24 | Apr 28 | Jul 17 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 24 | Apr 28 | Jul 17 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 7 | Apr 7 | Jun 16 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 10 | Apr 28 | Jul 7 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 10 | Apr 28 | Jul 12 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 10 | Apr 28 | Jul 17 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Carmel grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Carmel container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Carmel frost questions
When is the last frost in Carmel, IN?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CARMEL 3 E, IN is April 21: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 8; nine years in ten, it comes after April 5. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Carmel, IN?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 21. One year in ten it arrives before October 6; nine years in ten, before November 2.
How long is the growing season in Carmel, IN?
183 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 160 days; one year in ten, at least 204 days.
What growing zone is Carmel, IN?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 46032. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Carmel, IN?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 10 and transplant around Apr 28, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 8. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 12.
When should I plant peppers in Carmel, IN?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 24; transplant no earlier than Apr 28, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 12.
Nearby in Indiana
- Westfieldlast frost Apr 21
- Noblesvillelast frost Apr 21
- Fisherslast frost Apr 21
- Lawrencelast frost Apr 18
- Indianapolislast frost Apr 20
- Greenwoodlast frost Apr 20
All Indiana frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →