Murphysboro, IL 62966 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Murphysboro, IL, ZIP 62966
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/09, about 224 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 195 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Murphysboro 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
Zone 7a around Murphysboro has about 8 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
How much risk comes with planting early here
04/09 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/24 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 Murphysboro compares
About 195 days separate Murphysboro's last and first frost, putting it 19,242 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IL, it ranks 336 of 1,548.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Murphysboro can differ from the 62966 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and Murphysboro's frost date answer different questions.