Anita, IA 50020 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Anita, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/30, about 245 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/02, about 153 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Anita in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Anita before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Anita compares
Anita's growing season runs about 153 days, ranking 34,569 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 923 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Anita can differ from the 50020 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Anita's frost date answer different questions.