Bradford, IL 61426 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Bradford, IL?
Around 04/24 is the usual last spring frost, about 239 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 175 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 Bradford, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Bradford before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
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 Bradford compares
Bradford's growing season runs about 175 days, ranking 27,144 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,211 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Bradford can differ from the 61426 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Bradford's frost date answer different questions.