East Alton, IL 62018 Frost Dates
When can you plant in East Alton, IL?
Around 04/04 is the usual last spring frost, about 219 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/05, about 214 frost-free days later.
East Alton sits in USDA Zone 7a (0 to 5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 10 weeks of growing season left in East Alton 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
04/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How East Alton compares
East Alton's growing season runs about 214 days, ranking 14,246 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 19 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around East Alton's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in East Alton can differ from the 62018 normal.