Your nature year
Lansing, Michiganthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Lansing?
Ottawa Refuge, 103 miles from Lansing, is the nearest spring migration spot on this site, late April to mid-May (local timing). Au Sable River (133 mi) is the pick for fall foliage, Oct 1–31 (local timing).
At some 855 feet up, Lansing is on low ground. Frost usually lets go around May 1 and comes back around Oct 13, according to the nearest NOAA station, Lansing Capital City Airport: roughly 165 days without it. About 4 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Apr 11 and first bloom around May 10. We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Lansing; the nearest lies 103 miles to the southeast.
Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Lansing's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 1 to ~Oct 13
- First leaf ~Apr 11
- First bloom ~May 10
- Today
Near Lansing right now
- First fall frost usually around Oct 13 · last spring frost around May 1NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Lansing Capital City Airport (4.7 mi, 50% dates)~2 weeks
- Fall foliage · Au Sable River · 133 miLocal timing: Oct 1–31~2 days
Lansing's nature year
- Spring migration · Ottawa RefugeApr–May
- Apr: Spring green-upApr
- May: Last spring frostMay
- Oct: First fall frostOct
- Oct: Fall foliage · Au Sable RiverOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Au Sable River · 133 miLocal timing: Oct 1–31~2 days
- Indiana Dunes · 149 miusually Oct 11–20~12 days
Spring migration
- Ottawa Refuge · 103 miLocal timing: late April to mid-May~7 months
Snow in Lansing
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 9 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Lansing Capital City Airport (4.7 mi away): 50 inches of snow in an average year, about 15.3 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
May 1
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 13
About 165 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 11
First bloom around May 10
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Lansing Capital City Airport (4.7 mi from Lansing), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Lansing?
On average around Oct 13, and the last spring frost around May 1: about 165 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Lansing Capital City Airport, 4.7 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Lansing?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 11 and first bloom around May 10, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Lansing?
Au Sable River, 133 miles (local timing: Oct 1–31); Indiana Dunes, 149 miles (usually Oct 11–20). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see spring migration near Lansing?
Ottawa Refuge, 103 miles (local timing: late April to mid-May). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Lansing?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 9: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Lansing Capital City Airport. An average year brings 50 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)