Dickens, IA 51333 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Dickens, IA, ZIP 51333
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/01, roughly 246 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 154 frost-free days later.
Dickens sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5a around Dickens 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 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Dickens compares
About 154 days separate Dickens's last and first frost, putting it 34,459 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 912 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Dickens can differ from the 51333 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Dickens's frost date answer different questions.