Wiota, IA 50274 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Wiota, IA?
Around 04/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 245 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/02, about 153 frost-free days later.
Wiota sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Wiota before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Wiota compares
Wiota's growing season runs about 153 days, ranking 34,657 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 943 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Wiota can differ from the 50274 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Wiota's frost date answer different questions.