University Park, IL 60484 Frost Dates
When can you plant in University Park, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/23, roughly 238 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 179 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts University Park in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 8 weeks of growing season left in University Park before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
The actual range around University Park's last frost
04/23 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. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How University Park compares
University Park's growing season runs about 179 days, ranking 25,268 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,021 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in University Park can differ from the 60484 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and University Park's frost date answer different questions.