Littleton, IL 61452 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Littleton, IL?
Around 04/18 is the usual last spring frost, about 233 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 187 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Littleton in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°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
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Littleton before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/18 isn't a guarantee
04/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/03 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/01 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Littleton compares
About 187 days separate Littleton's last and first frost, putting it 22,624 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 806 of 1,548.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Littleton's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Littleton's dates instead of trusting one.