FrostDateCheck

Thurman, IA 51654 Frost Dates

When can you plant in Thurman, IA?

Zone 5b

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.

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 Thurman, not a forecast for this year.

What to do before the first frost

About 7 weeks of growing season left in Thurman 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 Thurman compares

Thurman's growing season runs about 182 days, ranking 24,347 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 85 of 1,042.

Learn more

the frost range covers how to read the range around Thurman's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Thurman can differ from the 51654 normal.