Lehigh, IA 50521 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lehigh, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/28, about 243 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/08, about 162 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Lehigh, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Lehigh 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
04/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lehigh compares
Lehigh's growing season runs about 162 days, ranking 31,851 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 725 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Lehigh can differ from the 50521 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Lehigh's frost date answer different questions.