Niles, IL 60714 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Niles, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/16, about 231 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/28, about 193 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Niles, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 9 weeks of growing season left in Niles before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/16 isn't a guarantee
04/16 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/03 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Niles compares
Niles's growing season runs about 193 days, ranking 19,737 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 376 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Niles's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Niles can differ from the 60714 normal.