Frost dates for Chicago, Illinois
In a typical year, Chicago’s last spring frost lands around Apr 10 and the first fall frost around Nov 5, a growing season of about 209 days. These are odds drawn from 30-year NOAA climate normals, not a promise. USDA zone 6a.
| Odds | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 10 percent | Mar 29 | Oct 24 |
| 50 percent | Apr 10 | Nov 5 |
| 90 percent | Apr 25 | Nov 20 |
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 Chicago is typically around 73°F at 4 inches this time of year, estimated from the last two weeks of normal air temperatures.
Plantable now in Chicago
- Tatsoi (Tatsoi)
- Spinach (Space)
- Turnip (Purple Top White Globe)
- Cauliflower (Snow Crown)
- Carrot (Danvers 126)
- Cabbage (Red Acre)
- Kohlrabi (Early White Vienna)
- Dill (Bouquet)
Timing comes from the same temperature engine the app uses, run against Chicago’s normals for today.
Nearby cities
- Naperville, IL (around Apr 28 to Oct 16)
- Joliet, IL (around Apr 19 to Oct 25)
- Aurora, IL (around Apr 19 to Oct 23)
- Kenosha, WI (around Apr 19 to Oct 26)
- South Bend, IN (around Apr 23 to Oct 23)
Row & Bed is a plant reference built around your garden: your zone, your frost dates, your forecast, and a cited page for every variety in your beds.
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