Palo, IA 52324 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Palo, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/28, about 243 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 166 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Palo 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 Palo 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. 05/13 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Palo compares
About 166 days separate Palo's last and first frost, putting it 30,393 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 460 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Palo can differ from the 52324 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Palo's frost date answer different questions.