Riverton, IA 51650 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Riverton, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/19, about 234 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 182 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Riverton 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 7 weeks of growing season left in Riverton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/19 isn't a guarantee
04/19 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/02 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Riverton compares
About 182 days separate Riverton's last and first frost, putting it 24,326 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 83 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Riverton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Riverton can differ from the 51650 normal.