USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 51028 — Kingsley, Iowa
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Le Mars, IA (1,195 ft), 15 miles northwest.
Updated
In Kingsley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 157 days (NOAA, Le Mars, IA).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 157 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 14
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 30.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kingsley
Half of springs at Le Mars, IA see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 17, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 8 20%, and after May 12 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 67% of the 132 Iowa stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 157 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 132 Iowa stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 160 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 9 days longer, to about May 9, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 |
| 28°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Le Mars, 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 51028 →Compare Kingsley with another place →
Weather by month in Kingsley
July is the warmest month at Le Mars, IA, averaging 85°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 7°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 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,887 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 132 Iowa stations. 35% of them (1,010) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716. Precipitation totals 30.0 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 7 | 0.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 32 | 11 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 23 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 17 |
| Apr | 60 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 12 | 85 |
| May | 72 | 47 | 3.9 | 48% | 1 | 313 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 594 |
| Jul | 85 | 62 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 82 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Sep | 76 | 50 | 3.1 | 37% | 1 | 389 |
| Oct | 63 | 37 | 2.4 | 100% | 10 | 123 |
| Nov | 46 | 24 | 1.3 | 100% | 24 | 13 |
| Dec | 32 | 13 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Le Mars, IA (1,195 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, Sioux City Ang, IA, 24 miles southwest of Kingsley, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 29), a first frost 3 days later (October 7), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Kingsley, Iowa
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Kingsley usually arrives around November 14, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Le Mars, IA, 15.2 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 51028
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 51028 is 15 miles from Le Mars, IA, which stands at 1,195 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 51031 (Le Mars). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 51028 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.