Magnolia, IA 51550 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Magnolia, IA, ZIP 51550
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/29, about 244 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/08, about 162 frost-free days later.
Magnolia sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 5b around Magnolia 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 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/15 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Magnolia compares
About 162 days separate Magnolia's last and first frost, putting it 31,877 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 735 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Magnolia's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Magnolia can differ from the 51550 normal.