Erie, IL 61250 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Erie, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/26, roughly 241 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 167 frost-free days later.
Zone 5b (-15 to -10°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 Erie, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Erie before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/13 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/11 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Erie compares
About 167 days separate Erie's last and first frost, putting it 30,049 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 1,458 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Erie's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Erie can differ from the 61250 normal.