Aurelia, IA 51005 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Aurelia, IA, ZIP 51005
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/04, roughly 249 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 152 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Aurelia 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 Aurelia has about 5 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 05/04 isn't a guarantee
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/20 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Aurelia compares
About 152 days separate Aurelia's last and first frost, putting it 34,814 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 952 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Aurelia can differ from the 51005 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Aurelia's frost date answer different questions.