Gilman, IA 50106 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Gilman, IA, ZIP 50106
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/03, roughly 248 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/06, about 155 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Gilman in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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
Zone 5a around Gilman has about 6 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.
The actual range around Gilman's last frost
05/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Gilman compares
Gilman's growing season runs about 155 days, ranking 34,078 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 875 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Gilman can differ from the 50106 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Gilman's frost date answer different questions.