Fairfield, IA 52557 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Fairfield, IA?
Around 04/27 is the usual last spring frost, about 242 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 168 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Fairfield 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 Fairfield 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
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Fairfield compares
About 168 days separate Fairfield's last and first frost, putting it 29,692 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 369 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Fairfield's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Fairfield's dates instead of trusting one.