Melvin, IL 60952 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Melvin, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/21, about 236 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 178 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 Melvin, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Melvin before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/21 isn't a guarantee
04/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/10 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/05 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Melvin compares
Melvin's growing season runs about 178 days, ranking 25,885 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,101 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Melvin's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Melvin can differ from the 60952 normal.