Jesup, IA 50648 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Jesup, IA, ZIP 50648
Around 04/30 is the usual last spring frost, about 245 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/07, about 159 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Jesup 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 Jesup 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 04/30 isn't a guarantee
04/30 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/16 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Jesup compares
Jesup's growing season runs about 159 days, ranking 32,660 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 781 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Jesup can differ from the 50648 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Jesup's frost date answer different questions.