Lost Nation, IA 52254 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Lost Nation, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/27, roughly 242 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 165 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Lost Nation 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 Lost Nation before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Lost Nation's last frost
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Lost Nation compares
At roughly 165 frost-free days, Lost Nation places 30,711 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IA, it ranks 538 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Lost Nation's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Lost Nation can differ from the 52254 normal.