Mondamin, IA 51557 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Mondamin, IA?
Around 05/01 is the usual last spring frost, about 246 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 155 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Mondamin in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Mondamin 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
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Mondamin compares
Mondamin's growing season runs about 155 days, ranking 34,116 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 879 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Mondamin can differ from the 51557 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Mondamin's frost date answer different questions.