Frost dates · USDA zone 6a

Frost dates for Kokomo, IN

Kokomo, IN sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 27 and its first of fall around October 18 — a 174-day freeze-free season in a typical year.

Apr 27Last spring frostmedian · 1 in 10 years after May 13
Oct 18First fall frostmedian · 1 in 10 years before Oct 4
174Freeze-free daysmedian year · ≥152 in 9 of 10
6aUSDA zone2023 map · ZIP 46902
Build a Kokomo sauce plan →

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

OddsLast spring freeze afterFirst fall freeze before
9 years in 10Apr 13Nov 1
Median — 1 year in 2Apr 27Oct 18
1 year in 10May 13Oct 4

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: 174 days median, at least 152 in 9 years of 10, at least 194 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 15 and first of Oct 29.

Kokomo planting calendar, 2027

Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 27) and median first frost (Oct 18) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.

CropStart indoorsTransplant / plantFirst harvestDays
Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck)—Oct 15prior fallJun 12240 from sow
Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day)Feb 2Mar 30Jul 18110 from transplant
Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea)Direct sowApr 27May 2730 from sow
CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum)Apr 13Apr 13May 2845 from sow
Genovese BasilGenoveseMar 30May 11Jul 1060 from transplant
CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum)Mar 2May 4Jul 1875 from transplant
HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense)Feb 16May 11Aug 1495 from transplant
JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum)Mar 2May 4Jul 1875 from transplant
Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum)Mar 2May 4Jul 2380 from transplant
SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum)Mar 2May 4Jul 2380 from transplant
Nantes CarrotScarlet NantesApr 13Apr 13Jun 2270 from sow
TomatilloToma VerdeMar 16May 4Jul 1370 from transplant
Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste)Mar 16May 4Jul 1875 from transplant
San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste)Mar 16May 4Jul 2380 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.

Kokomo frost questions

When is the last frost in Kokomo, IN?

The median last 32 °F freeze at KOKOMO 3 WSW, IN is April 27: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 13; nine years in ten, it comes after April 13. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.

When is the first frost in Kokomo, IN?

The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 18. One year in ten it arrives before October 4; nine years in ten, before November 1.

How long is the growing season in Kokomo, IN?

174 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 152 days; one year in ten, at least 194 days.

What growing zone is Kokomo, IN?

USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 46902. 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 Kokomo, IN?

Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 16 and transplant around May 4, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 13. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 18.

When should I plant peppers in Kokomo, IN?

Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 2; transplant no earlier than May 4, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 18.

Nearby in Indiana

All Indiana frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →