It’s … hot in Metro Detroit right now.

That’s a weird thing to say in April, but it’s true: High temperatures have been in the 70s and 80s, and they’ll stay that way this week.

With all this warmth, you may be switching to springtime gardening mode. But, is it safe to start planting outdoors in Southeast Michigan? Are we done with the cold temperatures for the season?

Our warm temperature outlook is promising (if you like the heat, that is), but it’s still fairly soon to start planting. Here’s what to know.

It’s all about soil temperature

When deciding when to plant outdoors in the spring, it’s important to consider the soil temperature in addition to the air temperature. Just because it’s warm outside doesn’t necessarily mean the soil is warm enough to plant.

The ideal soil temperature for planting most plants, especially vegetables, is between 65-75 degrees.

Planting in soil that is colder than 50 degrees could lead to germination problems with the plants, even if the air temperature is above freezing.

You can take the temperature of your soil yourself to see if the conditions are right.

When is the best time to plant in Southeast Michigan?

The time when it becomes safe to plant varies each year, since temperature trends aren’t exactly the same year-to-year.

With that in mind, our 4Warn Meteorologist Ashlee Baracy maintains that it’s safest to plant in the spring in mid- to late May.

Sure, our temps will reach the 70s and 80s during the day this week, but that may not last. And overnight low temperatures will drop into the 50s, and even the 40s at times.

In 2023, mid-April soil temperatures rose to around 70 degrees due to a stretch of days with 80-degree air temperatures. By the end of the month, though, soil temperatures were hovering in the 40s.

It’s best to plant when there’s at least some certainty that the high temperatures won’t suddenly drop below 50 or 40 degrees. It’s also ideal to avoid planting if frost remains a concern.

Are we done with frost this spring?

We may not have to worry about frost anymore this spring, but it’s still a possibility.

Frost is a thin layer of ice that forms on surfaces, and can “threaten sensitive vegetation and agriculture,” the National Weather Service says. Frost forms when air temperatures are at or below the freezing mark: 32 degrees.

According to Meteorologist Ashlee Baracy, our average “last freeze” of the spring season is on April 24.

The last day of frost in the spring of 2023 was April 26. The latest freeze that Metro Detroit has ever seen was on May 29, 1966.

That’s why our 4Warn Weather team insists that sensitive plants should wait to get planted until around Memorial Day.

Temperatures in Southeast Michigan have been trending above average this season, though. Across Michigan, temperatures are expected to remain above average in May. See the long range forecast for May here.

As of Monday, April 29, the lowest temperature in our 10-day forecast will be a 48-degree low on Tuesday, April 30.

See the 10-day forecast here.

With sky high expectations for the Lions entering year four 4 under general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell, the Lions needed a strong draft to fill out a few areas of concern.

Lions general manager Brad Holmes was aggressive, trading up four times in the first six rounds leveraging 2025 draft picks to move into position for two 2024 fourth-round picks. The teams first selections were back-to-back cornerback picks. Early on Day 3, Holmes made a questionable move when he took an offensive lineman from LSU that most draft experts did not have on their boards.

Here is how Brad Holmes andDan Campbell did with their selections for the Detroit Lions 2024 NFL Draft:

Round 1: No. 24 (from DAL) – Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama

Round 2: No. 61- Ennis Rakestraw Jr, CB, Missouri

Round 4: No. 126 (from GB) – Giovanni Manu, OT, University of British Columbia

Round 4: No. 132 (from SF) – Sione Vaki, RB, Utah

Round 5: No. 189 (from HOU through DEN through LAR through BUF) – Mekhi Wingo, OT, LSU

Round 6: No. 210 (from PHI) – Christian Mahogany, G, Boston College

Detroit police responded to two shootings near downtown late Saturday night, after the end of the 2024 NFL draft.

Detroit Police Corporal Dan Donakowski said the department responded to a call at 10:28 p.m. in the area of Chrysler Service Drive and East Larned, just east of downtown.

“The circumstances pertaining to this incident are under investigation,” Donakowski said. “The victim is being treated at a local hospital for a non-life threatening injury.”

Anyone with information regarding this crime is asked to call the Detroit Police Department’s 3rd Precinct at 313-596-1340 or Crimestoppers at 1-800-Speak-Up.

More: Detroit police report just 2 arrests as NFL draft draws 275K downtown for Day 1

The department responded to a second call at 11:45 p.m. along the 1100 block of Broadway Avenue. A woman had accidentally shot herself inside of a vehicle.

“She was privately conveyed to a local hospital and is being treated for her injury,” Donakowski said.