University Heights, IA 52246 Frost Dates
Frost dates for University Heights, IA, ZIP 52246
Around 04/21 is the usual last spring frost, about 236 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/18, about 180 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for University Heights, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5b around University Heights has about 7 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How University Heights compares
University Heights's growing season runs about 180 days, ranking 24,940 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 95 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around University Heights's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in University Heights can differ from the 52246 normal.