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Frost dates for Council Bluffs, Iowa

In a typical year, Council Bluffs’s last spring frost lands around Apr 18 and the first fall frost around Oct 21, a growing season of about 186 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 6a.

Right now the typical frost season has arrived; planting waits for spring.

Last spring frost and first fall frost odds for Council Bluffs, Iowa
OddsLast spring frostFirst fall frost
10 percentApr 5Oct 6
50 percentApr 18Oct 21
90 percentApr 30Nov 1

A 10 percent year is an early year, a 90 percent year a late one. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the 90 percent side of the last-frost band.

Soil in Council Bluffs is typically around 53°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.

See what is plantable in your ZIP with the what-to-plant lookup.

Common questions

When is the last frost in Council Bluffs, Iowa?

Council Bluffs’s last spring frost falls around April 18 in a typical year. One year in ten it is done by April 5, and one year in ten frost holds on until April 30. Frost-sensitive planting usually waits for the late side of that band.

When is the first fall frost in Council Bluffs?

The first fall frost arrives around October 21 in a typical year, as early as October 6 in an early year and as late as November 1 in a late one.

How long is the growing season in Council Bluffs?

About 186 days, counted between the typical last spring frost and the typical first fall frost.

What USDA zone is Council Bluffs in?

Council Bluffs is in USDA hardiness zone 6a under the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.

Dates come from 30-year NOAA climate normals for the nearest reporting station. They describe odds, not a forecast.

Nearby cities

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