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When to plant in Marquette, MI

USDA Zone 5b

Everything below — frost dates, hardiness zone, and what to plant when in Marquette, Michigan — is derived from the closest NOAA station with complete climate normals.

Zone 5b means Marquette sees real winter cold, but a good range of perennials survive; the frost dates above govern when annual vegetables go out.

Station · MARQUETTE · 1.4 km
Last spring frost
May 8
50% chance · 32°F
First fall frost
October 21
50% chance · 32°F
Growing season
166 days
frost-free
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Frost calendar for MarquetteA year-band showing 32°F frost risk from January to December for Marquette: last spring frost around May 8, first fall frost around October 21, about 166 frost-free days between.
Shaded months carry frost risk; the clear span is the average frost-free season.

Frost probability

MARQUETTE · 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 Marquette’s own odds, recorded at MARQUETTE.

Frost-probability curves for MarquetteProbability of the last spring frost and first fall frost by date at 32°F. The last spring frost is most likely around May 8 and the first fall frost around October 21, giving about 166 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°FJun 6May 23May 7Sep 26Oct 8Oct 23
32°FMay 23May 8Apr 26Oct 6Oct 21Nov 5
28°FMay 11Apr 27Apr 11Oct 19Nov 2Nov 16

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

What to plant now

TODAY · JULY 20
Fall sowopen now
Rutabaga
July 15July 29
Fall sowin 9 days
Broccoli
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 9 days
Cabbage
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 9 days
Carrot
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 9 days
Cauliflower
July 29August 12
Fall sowin 9 days
Napa Cabbage
July 29August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Beet
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Collards
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 23 days
Endive
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Escarole
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Fennel (Bulb)
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Kale
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 23 days
Kohlrabi
August 12September 9
Fall sowin 23 days
Peas
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Radicchio
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Swiss Chard
August 12August 26
Fall sowin 23 days
Turnip
August 12September 9

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 Marquette, drawn to the day from the local frost dates. The dashed line is today.

Nearby weather stations

3 within 23 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.

MARQUETTE
Primary
1 km · 203 m elevation
SPRING
May 8
FALL
Oct 21
MARQUETTE
12 km · 430 m elevation
SPRING
May 22
FALL
Sep 29
ISHPEMING WWTP
23 km · 429 m elevation
SPRING
May 26
FALL
Sep 25

Marquette planting FAQ

When is the last spring frost in Marquette, MI?

Plan for the last spring frost in Marquette around May 8 (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 Marquette, MI?

The first fall frost in Marquette typically arrives around October 21 (50% probability at 32°F). Harvest or protect frost-sensitive crops before then.

What hardiness zone is Marquette in?

Marquette is in USDA hardiness zone 5b. In zone 5b, winters are cold — pick cold-hardy varieties and protect tender crops.

How long is the growing season in Marquette?

There are roughly 166 frost-free days in Marquette (a moderate growing season), running from the average last frost around May 8 to the first fall frost near October 21.

When should I plant tomatoes in Marquette?

In Marquette, start tomato seeds indoors around March 13–March 27, then transplant seedlings outdoors around May 15 once the danger of frost has passed.

Planting reminders

Never miss a window in Marquette

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

Nearby cities

8 within reach

Frost dates recorded at MARQUETTE, 1 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 Marquette, MI — Frost Dates & Zone 5b." Frost normals: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USW00014838. Retrieved from https://blissgarden.com/michigan/marquette.