U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00202094 · Michigan

Frost Dates for Detour Village, MI

NOAA weather station Detour Village (USC00202094), Michigan · elevation 595 ft (181 m) · hardiness zone 5b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter May 20only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 550% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 2050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season167 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Detour Village, MISpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 5First frost ~Oct 20Frost season at Detour Village, MISpring: a frost after April 24 in 9 years out of 10, after May 5 in half of the years, after May 20 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 6 in 1 year out of 10, before October 20 in half of the years, before November 3 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 167 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 5First frost ~Oct 20
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)May 20October 6
50% (typical)May 5October 20
90% (likely)April 24November 3
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
167 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
April 25
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 1

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 5 (same as the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 25 (5 days later). Frost-free season 169 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Detour Village: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% May 20, 20% May 15, 30% May 11, 40% May 8, 50% May 5, 60% May 3, 70% May 1, 80% April 28, 90% April 24. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 9, 2022 May 18, 2023 May 2, 2024 April 25, 2025 May 8, 2026 May 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1May 20May 5Apr 242021: May 92022: May 182023: May 22024: April 252025: May 82026: May 12Fall at Detour Village: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 6, 20% October 10, 30% October 14, 40% October 17, 50% October 20, 60% October 23, 70% October 27, 80% October 31, 90% November 3. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 22, 2022 October 20, 2023 October 30, 2024 November 2, 2025 November 3.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Oct 1Nov 1Oct 6Oct 20Nov 32021: October 222022: October 202023: October 302024: November 22025: November 3
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 9October 22
2022May 18October 20
2023May 2October 30
2024April 25November 2
2025May 8November 3
2026May 12season not over yet

What these dates mean

The frost-free window of 167 days between the 50% light-frost dates of May 5 and October 20 defines the span in which most garden work can proceed without a typical light frost. In Detour Village the cautious spring date for tender crops is May 20, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, while planting on April 24 would be a gamble with a 90 % chance. In the fall the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 6, where there is only a 10 % chance a frost has already arrived; extending to November 3 would be a gamble with a 90 % chance. A hard frost at 28 °F can injure plants that survive a 32 °F light frost, so the 50% hard-frost dates of April 25 and November 1 mark a higher risk threshold.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after May 20" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 6" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Detour Village, MINumbered nearest stations: 1 — Cheboygan, MI — 36 mi; 2 — near Sault Ste. Marie, MI — 40 mi; 3 — Onaway, MI — 43 mi; 4 — Pellston, MI — 52 mi; 5 — Cross Village, MI — 59 mi.MI25 mi · 40 km1. Cheboygan, MI — 36 mi12. near Sault Ste. Marie, MI — 40 mi23. Onaway, MI — 43 mi34. Pellston, MI — 52 mi45. Cross Village, MI — 59 mi5
  1. Cheboygan, MI 36 mi (59 km)
  2. near Sault Ste. Marie, MI 40 mi (64 km)
  3. Onaway, MI 43 mi (70 km)
  4. Pellston, MI 52 mi (84 km)
  5. Cross Village, MI 59 mi (95 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 45.9983, -83.9014.