Soldier, IA 51572 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Soldier, IA, ZIP 51572
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/25, about 240 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 170 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Soldier, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5b around Soldier 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.
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 Soldier compares
Soldier's growing season runs about 170 days, ranking 29,247 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 323 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and Soldier's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Soldier's dates instead of trusting one.