Onslow, IA 52212 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Onslow, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/27, roughly 242 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 170 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Onslow in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Onslow before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/10 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Onslow compares
About 170 days separate Onslow's last and first frost, putting it 29,243 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 321 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Onslow can differ from the 52212 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Onslow's frost date answer different questions.