Chicago, IL 60654 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chicago, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/10, about 225 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/05, about 208 frost-free days later.
Zone 6b (-5 to 0°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 Chicago, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in Chicago 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
04/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/25 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chicago compares
Chicago's growing season runs about 208 days, ranking 15,474 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 70 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Chicago's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Chicago can differ from the 60654 normal.