Cuba, IL 61427 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Cuba, IL?
Around 04/17 is the usual last spring frost, about 232 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/19, about 185 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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 Cuba, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Cuba 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
04/17 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/02 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/03 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Cuba compares
Cuba's growing season runs about 185 days, ranking 23,234 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 832 of 1,548.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Cuba's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Cuba's dates instead of trusting one.