Michigan’s First Frost Predictions for 22 Cities in 2025

September in Michigan is a time you're sure to find a gardener whispering to their tomatoes: "Please ripen before Mother Nature drops the hammer." Because let's face it, the only thing more inevitable than potholes in March is the first frost of fall in Michigan.

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For the uninitiated, frost occurs when the temperature drops to 32° at ground level. Sometimes plants just get a bit of a chill; sometimes they straight-up explode at the cellular level—and that's a bad thing for the plant.

What Frost Means for Michigan Gardens

To put it simply, a frost coats the outside of plants with ice, whereas a freeze forms ice inside the plant tissue. Once that damage hits, it's permanent.

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Not all plants are wimps, though. That said, according to Michigan State University (MSU), Michigan tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and beans? One light frost and they'll collapse faster than your Wi-Fi and a Spartan tailgate. Some plants, like kale, spinach, and turnips, may enjoy the chilling, laughing at 28° temps like they're no big deal.

Why Michigan’s Frost Dates Vary by Region

The National Weather Service (NWS) reports Michigan's first frost dates vary wildly thanks to our magical Great Lakes. In Saginaw Valley, frost may not roll in until late October. But just a couple of counties over, you could be scraping ice off your windshield by early October.

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First Frost Predictions for 22 Michigan Cities

So if you want that last BLT of the season, better keep an eye on the forecast—and get ready to be on call to place a cover over your tomatoes. With some help from the Old Farmer's Almanac, we've put together their first frost predictions for 22 cities in Michigan this fall.