Steward, IL 60553 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Steward, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/26, roughly 241 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 168 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 Steward, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Steward 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
04/26 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. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Steward compares
About 168 days separate Steward's last and first frost, putting it 29,791 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 1,448 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Steward can differ from the 60553 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Steward's frost date answer different questions.