Raleigh, IL 62977 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Raleigh, IL, ZIP 62977
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/11, roughly 226 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 190 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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.
Why 04/11 isn't a guarantee
04/11 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/26 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Raleigh compares
Raleigh's growing season runs about 190 days, ranking 21,299 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within IL, it ranks 538 of 1,548.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 7a and Raleigh's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Raleigh's dates instead of trusting one.