Walford, IA 52307 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Walford, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/28, roughly 243 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 164 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Walford 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 Walford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around Walford'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 Walford compares
Walford's growing season runs about 164 days, ranking 31,029 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 598 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Walford's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Walford's dates instead of trusting one.