Elgin, IA 52141 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Elgin, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/04, roughly 249 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/04, about 151 frost-free days later.
Elgin sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Elgin before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/04 isn't a guarantee
05/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/20 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/17 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Elgin compares
Elgin's growing season runs about 151 days, ranking 35,118 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 974 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Elgin's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Elgin can differ from the 52141 normal.