Carbondale, IL 62901 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Carbondale, IL?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/09, roughly 224 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 195 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Carbondale in Zone 7a (0 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 Carbondale 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
04/09 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/25 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Carbondale compares
At roughly 195 frost-free days, Carbondale places 19,208 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within IL, it ranks 332 of 1,548.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Carbondale's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Carbondale can differ from the 62901 normal.