USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 52656 — West Point, Iowa
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Donnellson, IA (705 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In West Point, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 17 in half of years and has passed by May 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 187 days (NOAA, Donnellson, IA).
- Last spring frost
- April 17
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 187 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 1
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 26.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in West Point
Half of springs at Donnellson, IA see their last 32°F night by April 17; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 1. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 26 20%, and after May 1 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 58% of the 132 Iowa stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 22 in half of years, as early as October 10 one year in ten, and holds off past November 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 21, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 187 days in a typical year, longer than at 93% of the 132 Iowa stations; it reaches 207 days one year in ten and falls short of 167 one year in ten. On average 129 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 11 days longer, to about April 28, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 28°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 16°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Donnellson, 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 52656 →Compare West Point with another place →
Weather by month in West Point
July is the warmest month at Donnellson, IA, averaging 86°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,540 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 95% of the 132 Iowa stations. 36% of them (1,263) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 801. Precipitation totals 39.3 inches a year, most in May (5.0") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 15 | 1.5 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 5 |
| Mar | 51 | 29 | 2.6 | 100% | 19 | 40 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 3.7 | 94% | 7 | 145 |
| May | 73 | 52 | 5.0 | 11% | <1 | 399 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Jul | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Aug | 85 | 63 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Sep | 79 | 54 | 3.9 | 3% | 0 | 495 |
| Oct | 65 | 43 | 3.1 | 82% | 5 | 196 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 2.5 | 100% | 17 | 33 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Donnellson, IA (705 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, Fort Madison, IA, 10 miles southeast of West Point and 175 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 12), a first frost 3 days later (October 25), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in West Point, Iowa
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in West Point usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Donnellson, IA, 7 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 52656
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 6 – February 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 20 – April 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 52656 is 7 miles from Donnellson, IA, which stands at 705 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 63445 (Kahoka). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 52656 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.