Persia, IA 51563 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Persia, IA?
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.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Persia 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 6 weeks of growing season left in Persia before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Persia's last frost
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 Persia compares
Persia's growing season runs about 162 days, ranking 31,864 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 729 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Persia's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Persia's dates instead of trusting one.