Cordova, IL 61242 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Cordova, IL, ZIP 61242
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/22, roughly 237 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/16, about 175 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Cordova in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 5b around Cordova has about 7 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 04/22 isn't a guarantee
04/22 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/09 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 Cordova compares
Cordova's growing season runs about 175 days, ranking 27,142 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,209 of 1,548.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5b and Cordova's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Cordova's dates instead of trusting one.