Ute, IA 51060 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ute, IA?
Around 04/25 is the usual last spring frost, about 240 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 170 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 Ute, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Ute before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ute compares
Ute's growing season runs about 170 days, ranking 29,216 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 316 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Ute can differ from the 51060 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Ute's frost date answer different questions.