Rankin, IL 60932 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rankin, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/22, about 237 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 180 frost-free days later.
Rankin sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Rankin before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/22 isn't a guarantee
04/22 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rankin compares
About 180 days separate Rankin's last and first frost, putting it 25,020 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 973 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Rankin can differ from the 60932 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Rankin's frost date answer different questions.