Brayton, IA 50042 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Brayton, IA, ZIP 50042
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.
Brayton sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5a around Brayton has about 5 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/30 isn't a guarantee
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 Brayton compares
Brayton's growing season runs about 153 days, ranking 34,651 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 941 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Brayton can differ from the 50042 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Brayton's frost date answer different questions.