Gowrie, IA 50543 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Gowrie, IA, ZIP 50543
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.
Gowrie sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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
Zone 5a around Gowrie 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.
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 Gowrie compares
About 164 days separate Gowrie's last and first frost, putting it 31,065 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 603 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Gowrie can differ from the 50543 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Gowrie's frost date answer different questions.