Last and first frost dates in Grand Rapids

When is the last frost in Grand Rapids?

The last frost in Grand Rapids usually comes around 28 April: that is the median of 2016–2025, so in about half of those years the last night at or below 0 °C came later. Hardy crops start before it and frost-tender ones only after it: in the table below arugula can go into open ground from 7 April, while corn waits until 5 May. The first autumn frost follows around 3 November, about 189 days later: harvest or cover frost-tender crops before then.

When to sow and plant

Planting out: a week after the last frost once the soil is warm enough for the crop; frost-hardy crops three weeks before it; an unheated greenhouse three weeks earlier. Seedlings are sown so they are ready on that day. Each window starts on the Greenly calendar date and ends on the last day that still leaves the crop’s days to harvest (from its card) before the average first autumn frost, plus six weeks of picking for crops harvested over weeks (tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, courgettes, pumpkins, watermelons, beans) — our rule; earlier in the window is safer.

What planting zone is Grand Rapids?

The official USDA map (2023, 1991–2020 data) puts the centre of Grand Rapids (ZIP 49503) in zone 6a. Zone 6a stands for an average coldest night of -10 to -5 °F (-23.3 to -20.6 °C), so perennials hardy to zone 6a or a colder zone should come through a typical winter here.

Check the official USDA map for Grand Rapids: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

When the soil warms up in Grand Rapids

The day the top 7 cm of soil first averages each temperature over a week, median of 2016–2025 (ERA5 via Open-Meteo). The soil reaches 10 °C 6 days before the last spring frost and 15 °C 17 days after it.

Frost dates near Grand Rapids

Of the nearest cities on our list, the last spring frost ends earliest in Chicago (18 April) and latest in Traverse City (2 May).

Seeds, seedlings and markets in Grand Rapids

Within 15 km of Grand Rapids OpenStreetMap lists 7 garden centres, 2 plant nurseries, 7 markets and 9 farm shops (collected 20 October 2026). The nearest garden centre to the city centre is Flowerland, 5 km away.

• Flowerland — garden centre
  28th Street Southwest 765, Wyoming · Mon–Sat 10:00–18:00 · 5 km · myflowerland.com
• The Arts Marketplace — market
  Ionia Avenue Southwest 121, Grand Rapids · 0 km
• Momma D's Kitchen — farm shop
  Seward Avenue Northwest 405, 49504-2907 Grand Rapids · Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 2 km · mommadskitchenllc.com
• Flowerland — garden centre
  Alpine Avenue Northwest 3801, Comstock Park · 8 km
• Grand Rapids Downtown Market — market
  Ionia Avenue Southwest 435, 49503 Grand Rapids · 1 km · downtownmarketgr.com
• Momma D's Kitchen — farm shop
  Fulton Street East 1145, 49503 Grand Rapids · Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat 08:00–14:00 · 2 km · mommadskitchenllc.com

• Where to buy seeds and seedlings in Grand Rapids
• Selling your own harvest in the United States

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Weather in Grand Rapids by month

Average weather in Grand Rapids over 2016–2025: the warmest month is July. Months that average 20 °C or more by day: May–September (20.8–28.2 °C). Nights average below 0 °C in December–March (-6.5–-1.6 °C). About 1004 mm of rain falls in a year, on 135 days; October is the wettest month (109 mm) and February the driest (64 mm).

Average of the daily highs and lows, rain per month and days with at least 1 mm (ERA5 via Open-Meteo, the same grid cell as the frost dates).

Planted in autumn

From a month before the first autumn frost, so the roots grow before winter, to the late-planting limit on each crop’s page (about two weeks before the ground freezes, by ten years of weather).