Harcourt, IA 50544 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Harcourt, IA, ZIP 50544
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.
Harcourt 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 Harcourt 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 Harcourt compares
Harcourt's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 31,193 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 626 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Harcourt's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Harcourt's dates instead of trusting one.