Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids, MI sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 29 and its first of fall around October 20 — a 174-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 14 | Nov 2 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 29 | Oct 20 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 15 | Oct 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 151 in 9 years of 10, at least 195 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 16 and first of Nov 2.
Grand Rapids planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 29) and median first frost (Oct 20) 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) | Feb 4 | Apr 1 | Jul 20 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 29 | May 29 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 15 | Apr 15 | May 30 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Apr 1 | May 13 | Jul 12 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 4 | May 6 | Jul 20 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 18 | May 13 | Aug 16 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 4 | May 6 | Jul 20 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 4 | May 6 | Jul 25 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Mar 4 | May 6 | Jul 25 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 15 | Apr 15 | Jun 24 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 18 | May 6 | Jul 15 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 18 | May 6 | Jul 20 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 18 | May 6 | Jul 25 | 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 Grand Rapids grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Grand Rapids container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Grand Rapids frost questions
When is the last frost in Grand Rapids, MI?
The median last 32 °F freeze at GRAND RAPIDS, MI is April 29: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 15; nine years in ten, it comes after April 14. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Grand Rapids, MI?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 20. One year in ten it arrives before October 4; nine years in ten, before November 2.
How long is the growing season in Grand Rapids, MI?
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 151 days; one year in ten, at least 195 days.
What growing zone is Grand Rapids, MI?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 49503. 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 Grand Rapids, MI?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 18 and transplant around May 6, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 15. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 20.
When should I plant peppers in Grand Rapids, MI?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Mar 4; transplant no earlier than May 6, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 20.
Nearby in Michigan
- Wyominglast frost Apr 29
- Kentwoodlast frost Apr 29
- Kalamazoolast frost Apr 28
- Battle Creeklast frost Apr 30
- Portagelast frost Apr 28
- Lansinglast frost May 1
All Michigan frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →