Crystal Lake, IL 60014 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Crystal Lake, IL, ZIP 60014
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/25, about 240 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 179 frost-free days later.
Crystal Lake 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
Zone 5b around Crystal Lake has about 8 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 04/25 isn't a guarantee
04/25 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/11 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 Crystal Lake compares
Crystal Lake's growing season runs about 179 days, ranking 25,156 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 985 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Crystal Lake's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Crystal Lake can differ from the 60014 normal.