Carter Lake, IA 68111 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Carter Lake, IA?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 04/18, roughly 233 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/21, about 185 frost-free days later.
Carter Lake 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 Carter Lake before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/18 isn't a guarantee
04/18 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/05 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 Carter Lake compares
About 185 days separate Carter Lake's last and first frost, putting it 23,155 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within IA, it ranks 40 of 1,042.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Carter Lake's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Carter Lake's dates instead of trusting one.