Bussey, IA 50044 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bussey, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/21, roughly 236 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/16, about 176 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bussey 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 7 weeks of growing season left in Bussey before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Bussey's last frost
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/08 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Bussey compares
Bussey's growing season runs about 176 days, ranking 26,621 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 154 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bussey can differ from the 50044 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Bussey's frost date answer different questions.