Barrington, IL 60010 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Barrington, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/25, roughly 240 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 177 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Barrington 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 7 weeks of growing season left in Barrington 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
04/25 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. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Barrington compares
Barrington's growing season runs about 177 days, ranking 26,060 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,120 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Barrington can differ from the 60010 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Barrington's frost date answer different questions.