Monroe, IA 50214 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Monroe, IA?
Around 04/21 is the usual last spring frost, about 236 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/15, about 174 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Monroe 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 Monroe before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Monroe's last frost
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Monroe compares
Monroe's growing season runs about 174 days, ranking 27,502 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 188 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Monroe can differ from the 50214 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Monroe's frost date answer different questions.