Hettick, IL 62649 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Hettick, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/14, roughly 229 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 188 frost-free days later.
Hettick sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 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 8 weeks of growing season left in Hettick 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 03/31 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/30 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Hettick compares
Hettick's growing season runs about 188 days, ranking 22,230 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 708 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Hettick can differ from the 62649 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Hettick's frost date answer different questions.