Jamaica, IA 50128 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Jamaica, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/26, about 241 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 164 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Jamaica 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
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Jamaica before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Jamaica compares
At roughly 164 frost-free days, Jamaica places 31,213 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IA, it ranks 637 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Jamaica's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Jamaica's dates instead of trusting one.