Traer, IA 50612 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Traer, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/30, about 245 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, 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 Traer, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Traer before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Traer compares
About 162 days separate Traer's last and first frost, putting it 31,773 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 702 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Traer's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Traer can differ from the 50612 normal.