U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USW00094814 · Michigan

Frost Dates near Houghton Lake, MI

NOAA weather station Houghton Lake Roscommon Airport (USW00094814), Michigan · elevation 1151 ft (351 m) · hardiness zone 5a*

Houghton Lake is the nearest town to the station (5.5 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter June 3only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 1950% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2350% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season125 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone5acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Houghton Lake, MISpring: a frost after April 30 in 9 years out of 10, after May 19 in half of the years, after June 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 6 in 1 year out of 10, before September 23 in half of the years, before October 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 125 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 19First frost ~Sep 23Frost season near Houghton Lake, MISpring: a frost after April 30 in 9 years out of 10, after May 19 in half of the years, after June 3 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 6 in 1 year out of 10, before September 23 in half of the years, before October 7 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 125 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 19First frost ~Sep 23
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 30 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)June 3September 6
50% (typical)May 19September 23
90% (likely)April 30October 7
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
125 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 4
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 15 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost September 26 (3 days later). Frost-free season 131 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 near Houghton Lake: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% June 3, 20% May 30, 30% May 27, 40% May 23, 50% May 19, 60% May 16, 70% May 11, 80% May 6, 90% April 30. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 30, 2022 May 8, 2023 May 26, 2024 April 26, 2025 May 9, 2026 May 12.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1Jun 3May 19Apr 302021: May 302022: May 82023: May 262024: April 262025: May 92026: May 12Fall near Houghton Lake: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 6, 20% September 13, 30% September 17, 40% September 20, 50% September 23, 60% September 26, 70% September 29, 80% October 3, 90% October 7. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 18, 2022 September 23, 2023 October 12, 2024 October 5, 2025 September 8.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Sep 1Oct 1Sep 6Sep 23Oct 72021: October 182022: September 232023: October 122024: October 52025: September 8
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 30October 18
2022May 8September 23
2023May 26October 12
2024April 26October 5
2025May 9September 8
2026May 12season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 125 days between the 32°F 50% dates, May 19 and September 23, define the window when tender crops can be grown in the Houghton Lake area. During this span the risk of a light frost is lower than 50 %, while outside it the chance exceeds 50 %.

Gardeners who follow a cautious plan should wait until the June 3 spring date, which carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later, before setting out tender crops, and should aim to finish harvesting by the September 6 fall date, which has only a 10 % chance of a frost earlier. Planting before April 30 or keeping tender crops after October 7 raises the risk to 90 % and is considered a gamble.

A hard frost, recorded at the 28°F 50% dates of May 4 in spring and October 5 in fall, can damage plants more severely than a light frost because it reaches lower temperatures.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after June 3" 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 September 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 Houghton Lake, MINumbered nearest stations: 1 — Grayling, MI — 20 mi; 2 — West Branch, MI — 24 mi; 3 — Lake City, MI — 26 mi; 4 — Gladwin, MI — 28 mi; 5 — Kalkaska, MI — 35 mi.25 mi · 40 km1. Grayling, MI — 20 mi12. West Branch, MI — 24 mi23. Lake City, MI — 26 mi34. Gladwin, MI — 28 mi45. Kalkaska, MI — 35 mi5
  1. Grayling, MI 20 mi (33 km)
  2. West Branch, MI 24 mi (39 km)
  3. Lake City, MI 26 mi (43 km)
  4. Gladwin, MI 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Kalkaska, MI 35 mi (57 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 44.3592, -84.6739.