Nichols, IA 52766 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Nichols, IA, ZIP 52766
Around 04/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 239 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/14, about 172 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Nichols 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
Zone 5b around Nichols has about 7 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/24 isn't a guarantee
04/24 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. 05/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Nichols compares
Nichols's growing season runs about 172 days, ranking 28,478 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IA, it ranks 275 of 1,042.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Nichols's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Nichols can differ from the 52766 normal.