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When to plant in Auburn Hills, MI

USDA Zone 6a

Auburn Hills, Michigan frost dates, USDA zone, and a full-year planting calendar, drawn from the nearest NOAA station and tuned to the local season.

In zone 6a, Auburn Hills gardeners can grow many hardy perennials, while the last and first frost still dictate the annual vegetable calendar.

Station · PONTIAC WWTP · 4.1 km
Last spring frost
April 26
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 22
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
179 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for Auburn HillsA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Auburn Hills: last spring frost around April 26, first fall frost around October 22, about 179 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

The average first fall frost in Auburn Hills is now 10 days later than in the 1981–2010 normals. See how frost dates are shifting nationwide →

Frost probability

PONTIAC WWTP · 1991–2020

The date the last spring and first fall frost occur, by threshold and probability. A 90% date is later in spring — and earlier in fall — than a 10% date; the 50% · 32°F row is what most gardeners plan around. These are Auburn Hills’s own odds, recorded at PONTIAC WWTP.

Frost-probability curves for Auburn HillsProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around April 26 and the first fall frost around October 22, giving about 179 frost-free days.
Last spring frostFirst fall frostbold = 32°F · thin = 28°F / 36°F · dot = 50% date · band = 10–90% window
ThresholdSPRING 10%SPRING 50%SPRING 90%FALL 10%FALL 50%FALL 90%
36°FMay 22May 5Apr 22Sep 28Oct 10Oct 23
32°FMay 12Apr 26Apr 15Oct 7Oct 22Nov 4
28°FApr 30Apr 16Apr 3Oct 20Nov 4Nov 17

Download this table as CSV ↓ — every threshold and probability, plus this city’s planting-window dates.

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 19
Fall sowopen now
Rutabaga
July 16July 30
Fall sowin 11 days
Broccoli
July 30August 13
Fall sowin 11 days
Cabbage
July 30August 13
Fall sowin 11 days
Carrot
July 30August 13
Fall sowin 11 days
Cauliflower
July 30August 13
Fall sowin 11 days
Napa Cabbage
July 30August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Beet
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Collards
August 13September 10
Fall sowin 25 days
Endive
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Escarole
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Fennel (Bulb)
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Kale
August 13September 10
Fall sowin 25 days
Kohlrabi
August 13September 10
Fall sowin 25 days
Peas
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Radicchio
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Swiss Chard
August 13August 27
Fall sowin 25 days
Turnip
August 13September 10

Add these crops to your calendar (.ics) ↓

Full-year planting calendar

Start indoorsTransplantDirect sowFall sow

Each bar is the exact window to take a planting action in Auburn Hills, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 19 km · complete 32°F normals

When stations disagree by more than a few days, that spread is real microclimate variation — elevation, water, urban heat. Judge which station best matches your own yard.

PONTIAC WWTP
Primary
4 km · 271 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 26
FALL
Oct 22
PONTIAC OAKLAND CO INTL AP
14 km · 298 m elevation
SPRING
Apr 29
FALL
Oct 20
WHITE LAKE 4E
19 km · 321 m elevation
SPRING
May 10
FALL
Oct 6

Auburn Hills planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Auburn Hills, MI?

Plan for the last spring frost in Auburn Hills around April 26 (the date it has a 50% chance of a 32°F freeze). Anything frost-sensitive should go out after it.

When is the first fall frost in Auburn Hills, MI?

Expect Auburn Hills's first fall frost near October 22 — a 50% chance of 32°F by that date. Bring in or cover tender crops ahead of it.

What hardiness zone is Auburn Hills in?

Auburn Hills is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. In zone 6a, winters are moderate — most common vegetables grow well in season.

How long is the growing season in Auburn Hills?

Auburn Hills has about 179 frost-free days — a moderate growing season — between the average last spring frost (April 26) and first fall frost (October 22).

When should I plant tomatoes in Auburn Hills?

For Auburn Hills, sow tomatoes indoors about March 1–March 15 and move the seedlings out around May 3, after the last spring frost.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Auburn Hills

An email when it’s time to start seeds, transplant, and sow — timed to Auburn Hills’s frost dates. Double opt-in, one-click unsubscribe, no spam.

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at PONTIAC WWTP, 4 km from the city center · 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals · zone from the USDA/PRISM 2023 map. How we compute this.

Cite this page
BlissGarden. "When to Plant in Auburn Hills, MI — Frost Dates & Zone 6a." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00206658. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/michigan/auburn-hills.
When to Plant in Auburn Hills, MI — Frost Dates & Zone 6a — BlissGarden