Wheaton, IL 60128 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Wheaton, IL?
Around 04/27 is the usual last spring frost, about 242 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 173 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Wheaton, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Wheaton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/27 isn't a guarantee
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 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 Wheaton compares
Wheaton's growing season runs about 173 days, ranking 27,753 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,285 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Wheaton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Wheaton can differ from the 60128 normal.