Chariton, IA 50049 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chariton, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/05, roughly 250 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/05, about 151 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chariton 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 Chariton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/05 isn't a guarantee
05/05 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/21 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chariton compares
At roughly 151 frost-free days, Chariton places 35,014 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IA, it ranks 965 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Chariton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Chariton can differ from the 50049 normal.