Varina, IA 50593 Frost Dates
Varina, IA: when does the frost end?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/26, about 241 days from today. Fall's first freeze usually shows up around 10/07, roughly 164 days after the last spring frost.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Varina in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
Stretching the season past the first frost
With roughly 6 weeks until Varina's first fall frost, a row cover or cold frame is what stretches the last few weeks of harvest here.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Getting tender plants in by 04/11 carries real risk, frost has hit that late in about 9 of 10 years here. Wait until 05/08 and only about 1 year in 10 sees frost after that.
Varina against the rest of the dataset
Varina's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 31,262 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 657 of 1,042.
Learn more
Before leaning on 50593's figures: zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Varina's frost date answer different questions, while the frost range explains how to read the range around Varina's dates instead of trusting one.