Chillicothe, IA 52548 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chillicothe, IA?
Around 04/23 is the usual last spring frost, about 238 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/14, about 172 frost-free days later.
Chillicothe sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Chillicothe before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/23 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/09 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chillicothe compares
About 172 days separate Chillicothe's last and first frost, putting it 28,548 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 282 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Chillicothe can differ from the 52548 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Chillicothe's frost date answer different questions.