Clinton, IL 61727 Frost Dates
Clinton, IL: when does the frost end?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/20, about 235 days from today. Fall's first freeze usually shows up around 10/16, roughly 179 days after the last spring frost.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Clinton in Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
Stretching the season past the first frost
With roughly 7 weeks until Clinton's first fall frost, a row cover or cold frame is what stretches the last few weeks of harvest here.
Why 04/20 isn't a guarantee
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Getting tender plants in by 04/05 carries real risk, frost has hit that late in about 9 of 10 years here. Wait until 05/04 and only about 1 year in 10 sees frost after that.
Clinton against the rest of the dataset
Clinton's growing season runs about 179 days, ranking 25,269 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 1,022 of 1,548.
Learn more
Before leaning on 61727's figures: local microclimates explains what one yard in Clinton can differ from the 61727 normal, while zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and Clinton's frost date answer different questions.