USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 50627 — Eldora, Iowa
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eldora, IA (1,073 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Eldora, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 27 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 165 days (NOAA, Eldora, IA).
- Last spring frost
- April 27
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 165 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 22
- Last snow
- March 28
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 33.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eldora
Half of springs at Eldora, IA see their last 32°F night by April 27; only one in ten is past it by April 13, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 88% of the 132 Iowa stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 10 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 165 days in a typical year, shorter than at 45% of the 132 Iowa stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 147 one year in ten. On average 153 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 8 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 20.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 5 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 20°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eldora, IA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 50627 →Compare Eldora with another place →
Weather by month in Eldora
July is the warmest month at Eldora, IA, averaging 84°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°F and 8°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,861 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 67% of the 132 Iowa stations. 34% of them (986) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 704. Precipitation totals 38.0 inches a year, most in June (5.9") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 8 | 1.1 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 13 | 1.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 24 | 2.1 | 100% | 24 | 15 |
| Apr | 59 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 10 | 81 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 5.2 | 36% | 1 | 306 |
| Jun | 80 | 59 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 584 |
| Jul | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 704 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Sep | 76 | 51 | 3.6 | 19% | <1 | 398 |
| Oct | 62 | 38 | 2.8 | 99% | 9 | 125 |
| Nov | 45 | 26 | 1.9 | 100% | 22 | 15 |
| Dec | 32 | 15 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eldora, IA (1,073 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Iowa Falls, IA, 14 miles northwest of Eldora, has a last frost 1 day later (April 28), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Eldora, Iowa
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eldora usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 28. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Eldora, IA, 0.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 50627
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 16 – March 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 30 – April 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 50627 is under a mile from Eldora, IA, which stands at 1,073 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 50627 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.