Epworth, IA 52045 Frost Dates
Epworth, IA: when does the frost end?
Around 04/28 is the usual last spring frost, about 243 days away. Fall's first freeze usually shows up around 10/10, roughly 164 days after the last spring frost.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Epworth in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
Stretching the season past the first frost
With roughly 6 weeks until Epworth's first fall frost, a row cover or cold frame is what stretches the last few weeks of harvest here.
Why 04/28 isn't a guarantee
04/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Getting tender plants in by 04/12 carries real risk, frost has hit that late in about 9 of 10 years here. Wait until 05/12 and only about 1 year in 10 sees frost after that.
Epworth against the rest of the dataset
Epworth's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 30,997 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 592 of 1,042.
Learn more
Before leaning on 52045's figures: local microclimates explains what one yard in Epworth can differ from the 52045 normal, while zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Epworth's frost date answer different questions.