When to plant in Traverse City, MI
Planting dates worked out from Traverse City's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 23
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 13
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
154
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Traverse City Munson · 1.9 km away · station 194 m, town 182 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 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 14 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 2 | May 28 |
| Peas | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | Jun 12 |
| Bush beans | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 5 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 25 |
| Beet | — | Apr 26 – Jun 7 | Jun 15 |
| Potato | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jul 5 |
| Kale | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | Apr 25 – May 9 | Jun 7 |
| Broccoli | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jun 17 |
| Cucumber | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 7 |
| Winter squash | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Aug 11 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 18 – May 9 | Jul 17 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 30 – Oct 28 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 18 – May 16 | May 26 |
| Basil | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 |
Traverse City'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 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | May 25 |
| 2003 | May 22 |
| 2004 | May 4 |
| 2005 | May 17 |
| 2006 | May 22 |
| 2007 | Apr 18 |
| 2008 | May 28 |
| 2009 | May 11 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | May 1 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | May 20 |
| 2016 | May 16 |
| 2017 | May 9 |
| 2018 | May 12 |
| 2019 | May 13 |
| 2020 | May 14 |
| 2021 | May 14 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 141 |
| 2003 | 132 |
| 2004 | 188 |
| 2005 | 156 |
| 2006 | 142 |
| 2007 | 189 |
| 2008 | 146 |
| 2009 | 152 |
| 2010 | 146 |
| 2011 | 176 |
| 2012 | 159 |
| 2013 | 162 |
| 2014 | 154 |
| 2015 | 149 |
| 2016 | 162 |
| 2017 | 169 |
| 2018 | 158 |
| 2019 | 154 |
| 2020 | 154 |
| 2021 | 171 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 16.1 °C |
| 2003 | 15.2 °C |
| 2004 | 15.0 °C |
| 2005 | 17.0 °C |
| 2006 | 16.4 °C |
| 2007 | 16.3 °C |
| 2008 | 15.4 °C |
| 2009 | 14.5 °C |
| 2010 | 17.1 °C |
| 2011 | 15.6 °C |
| 2012 | 16.7 °C |
| 2013 | 14.8 °C |
| 2014 | 14.8 °C |
| 2015 | 16.0 °C |
| 2016 | 16.1 °C |
| 2017 | 15.7 °C |
| 2018 | 15.8 °C |
| 2019 | 14.7 °C |
| 2020 | 14.8 °C |
| 2021 | 15.9 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Traverse City Munson (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.