Oxford, IA 52236 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Oxford, IA?
Around 04/28 is the usual last spring frost, about 243 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 164 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Oxford in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Oxford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Oxford's last frost
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. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Oxford compares
About 164 days separate Oxford's last and first frost, putting it 31,089 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 608 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Oxford's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Oxford's dates instead of trusting one.