Rockford, IL 61101 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Rockford, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/24, roughly 239 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 174 frost-free days later.
Rockford sits in USDA Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Rockford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/24 isn't a guarantee
04/24 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. 05/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Rockford compares
Rockford's growing season runs about 174 days, ranking 27,311 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,220 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Rockford's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Rockford can differ from the 61101 normal.