Eldon, IA 52588 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Eldon, IA?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/26, about 241 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 169 frost-free days later.
Eldon 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 Eldon 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
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/10 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Eldon compares
About 169 days separate Eldon's last and first frost, putting it 29,532 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 335 of 1,042.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Eldon can differ from the 52588 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Eldon's frost date answer different questions.