Chelsea, IA 52215 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chelsea, IA?
Around 04/28 is the usual last spring frost, about 243 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 165 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Chelsea 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 6 weeks of growing season left in Chelsea before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/28 isn't a guarantee
04/28 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chelsea compares
At roughly 165 frost-free days, Chelsea places 30,756 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IA, it ranks 553 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Chelsea can differ from the 52215 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Chelsea's frost date answer different questions.