Springfield, IL 62701 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Springfield, 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.
Springfield 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 Springfield 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 Springfield compares
About 187 days separate Springfield's last and first frost, putting it 22,268 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 712 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Springfield can differ from the 62701 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Springfield's frost date answer different questions.