Fenton, IA 50539 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Fenton, IA, ZIP 50539
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/27, roughly 242 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/07, about 164 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fenton 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 Fenton 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 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 Fenton compares
Fenton's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 31,195 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 628 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Fenton's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Fenton's dates instead of trusting one.