Apple River, IL 61001 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Apple River, IL, ZIP 61001
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/27, about 242 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 165 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Apple River in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5a around Apple River has about 6 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/27 isn't a guarantee
04/27 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 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 Apple River compares
At roughly 165 frost-free days, Apple River places 30,729 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IL, it ranks 1,498 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Apple River can differ from the 61001 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Apple River's frost date answer different questions.