Frost dates in Indianapolis, Indiana
NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.
Short answer
The average last spring frost in Indianapolis is April 15, and the average first fall frost is October 26, from NOAA's Indianapolis station, 9 miles from the middle of Indianapolis. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 2, and the first one by October 13. That leaves about 194 frost-free days. Indianapolis is in USDA planting zone 6b.
Weather stations around Indianapolis
The first row is the date most people in Indianapolis go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.
| Station | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Frost-free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 9 mi away, 790 ft | April 15 1 in 10 after May 2 | October 26 1 in 10 by October 13 | 194 days |
| Indianapolis Se Side 6 mi away, 845 ft | April 20 1 in 10 after May 5 | October 21 1 in 10 by October 7 | 184 days |
| Indianapolis Eagle Creek Airport 9 mi away, 823 ft | April 12 1 in 10 after April 29 | October 29 1 in 10 by October 16 | 200 days |
| Indianapolis Nwfo 9 mi away, 790 ft | April 12 1 in 10 after April 28 | October 27 1 in 10 by October 14 | 198 days |
| Castleton 2 S 9 mi away, 824 ft | April 18 1 in 10 after May 6 | October 26 1 in 10 by October 12 | 191 days |
Distances are from the middle of Indianapolis as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 46204, at the middle of the city.
Your exact ZIP code
Indianapolis covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.
How these dates work
Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.
The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.
More frost dates
All of Indiana, station by station.
Other Indiana cities: Fort Wayne
Nearby: Cincinnati, OH · Louisville, KY · Lexington, KY
Where the numbers come from
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University (zone data)
- NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, annual/seasonal
- NOAA, Normals calculation methodology (frost-freeze probability dates)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 ZCTA gazetteer (ZIP code centers)
- US Census Bureau, 2025 city population estimates and place gazetteer