Macon, IL 62544 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Macon, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/14, roughly 229 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 192 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Macon 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 Macon before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/14 isn't a guarantee
04/14 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/01 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 Macon compares
At roughly 192 frost-free days, Macon places 20,462 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IL, it ranks 427 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Macon can differ from the 62544 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Macon's frost date answer different questions.