Calumet, IA 51009 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Calumet, IA, ZIP 51009
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/29, roughly 244 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 163 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Calumet 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 Calumet 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 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 Calumet compares
Calumet's growing season runs about 163 days, ranking 31,547 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 683 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Calumet can differ from the 51009 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Calumet's frost date answer different questions.