When to plant in Charlevoix, MI
Planting dates worked out from Charlevoix's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 11
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 30
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 29
1 year in 10 by Oct 13
Frost-free days
176
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Charlevoix · 0.7 km away · station 181 m, town 181 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 17 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 5 | May 31 |
| Peas | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | Jun 15 |
| Bush beans | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 4 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 29 |
| Beet | — | Apr 30 – Jun 11 | Jun 19 |
| Potato | — | Apr 30 – May 21 | Jul 9 |
| Kale | Mar 17 – Mar 31 | Apr 28 – May 12 | Jun 10 |
| Broccoli | Mar 10 – Mar 24 | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jun 20 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 4 |
| Winter squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Aug 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 15 – Jun 5 | Jul 14 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 21 – May 12 | Jul 20 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 21 – May 19 | May 29 |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 |
Charlevoix's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1894 | Apr 25 |
| 1895 | May 21 |
| 1896 | Apr 22 |
| 1897 | Apr 20 |
| 1898 | May 12 |
| 1899 | May 23 |
| 1900 | May 10 |
| 1901 | May 12 |
| 1902 | May 11 |
| 1903 | May 7 |
| 1904 | May 16 |
| 1905 | Apr 30 |
| 1907 | May 27 |
| 1908 | May 1 |
| 1909 | May 11 |
| 1910 | May 14 |
| 1911 | May 13 |
| 1912 | May 14 |
| 1913 | Jun 10 |
| 1915 | May 27 |
| 1916 | May 2 |
| 1917 | May 24 |
| 1918 | May 11 |
| 1919 | Apr 30 |
| 1920 | May 2 |
| 1921 | Apr 18 |
| 1922 | Apr 28 |
| 1925 | May 24 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 30 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | Apr 23 |
| 2003 | May 3 |
| 2004 | Apr 28 |
| 2005 | May 12 |
| 2006 | Apr 28 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | Apr 28 |
| 2009 | May 11 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | Apr 24 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | Apr 25 |
| 2014 | May 6 |
| 2015 | Apr 26 |
| 2016 | Apr 23 |
| 2017 | May 9 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | May 8 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 1 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | May 2 |
| 2026 | May 2 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1894 | 171 |
| 1895 | 140 |
| 1896 | 154 |
| 1897 | 199 |
| 1898 | 166 |
| 1899 | 129 |
| 1900 | 180 |
| 1902 | 151 |
| 1905 | 177 |
| 1907 | 146 |
| 1908 | 162 |
| 1909 | 153 |
| 1910 | 166 |
| 1911 | 144 |
| 1912 | 154 |
| 1915 | 135 |
| 1916 | 191 |
| 1917 | 139 |
| 1918 | 193 |
| 1919 | 160 |
| 1920 | 190 |
| 1921 | 197 |
| 1922 | 172 |
| 1925 | 137 |
| 1998 | 189 |
| 1999 | 199 |
| 2000 | 150 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 173 |
| 2003 | 187 |
| 2004 | 194 |
| 2005 | 168 |
| 2006 | 167 |
| 2007 | 205 |
| 2008 | 176 |
| 2009 | 155 |
| 2010 | 174 |
| 2011 | 186 |
| 2012 | 189 |
| 2013 | 186 |
| 2014 | 168 |
| 2015 | 209 |
| 2016 | 210 |
| 2017 | 179 |
| 2018 | 174 |
| 2019 | 170 |
| 2020 | 169 |
| 2021 | 186 |
| 2022 | 198 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 215 |
| 2025 | 190 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1894 | 15.4 °C |
| 1895 | 15.1 °C |
| 1896 | 15.4 °C |
| 1897 | 14.3 °C |
| 1898 | 14.9 °C |
| 1899 | 14.7 °C |
| 1900 | 15.3 °C |
| 1901 | 15.2 °C |
| 1903 | 14.6 °C |
| 1904 | 13.9 °C |
| 1906 | 16.8 °C |
| 1907 | 13.1 °C |
| 1908 | 16.5 °C |
| 1909 | 14.4 °C |
| 1910 | 15.4 °C |
| 1911 | 14.7 °C |
| 1912 | 14.5 °C |
| 1913 | 14.6 °C |
| 1915 | 13.3 °C |
| 1917 | 12.5 °C |
| 1918 | 14.3 °C |
| 1919 | 16.2 °C |
| 1920 | 14.2 °C |
| 1921 | 18.4 °C |
| 1922 | 15.7 °C |
| 1925 | 15.5 °C |
| 1998 | 16.2 °C |
| 1999 | 16.1 °C |
| 2000 | 14.6 °C |
| 2001 | 15.7 °C |
| 2002 | 15.2 °C |
| 2003 | 14.4 °C |
| 2004 | 14.3 °C |
| 2005 | 16.3 °C |
| 2006 | 15.9 °C |
| 2007 | 15.6 °C |
| 2008 | 15.0 °C |
| 2009 | 14.1 °C |
| 2010 | 16.5 °C |
| 2011 | 15.0 °C |
| 2012 | 16.2 °C |
| 2013 | 14.5 °C |
| 2014 | 13.8 °C |
| 2015 | 15.2 °C |
| 2016 | 15.8 °C |
| 2017 | 15.3 °C |
| 2018 | 15.1 °C |
| 2019 | 14.2 °C |
| 2020 | 14.7 °C |
| 2021 | 15.7 °C |
| 2022 | 15.2 °C |
| 2023 | 15.3 °C |
| 2024 | 16.3 °C |
| 2025 | 15.1 °C |
| 2026 | 15.7 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1894, Charlevoix's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 2 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Charlevoix (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.