Chillicothe, IL 61523 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Chillicothe, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/20, about 235 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/17, about 178 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 Chillicothe, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Chillicothe 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
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/07 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chillicothe compares
About 178 days separate Chillicothe's last and first frost, putting it 25,682 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 1,077 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Chillicothe can differ from the 61523 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Chillicothe's frost date answer different questions.