Spaulding, IL 62561 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Spaulding, IL?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/14, about 229 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/20, about 187 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 Spaulding, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Spaulding 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
04/14 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. 04/29 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Spaulding compares
Spaulding's growing season runs about 187 days, ranking 22,510 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 774 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Spaulding can differ from the 62561 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Spaulding's frost date answer different questions.