USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 60002 — Antioch, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Antioch, IL (750 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Antioch, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Antioch, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 21
- Growing season
- 179 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 16
- Last snow
- April 4
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Antioch
Half of springs at Antioch, IL see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 3 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 22% of the 158 Illinois stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 157 one year in ten. On average 133 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 12 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 20°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Antioch, IL, 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 60002 →Compare Antioch with another place →
Weather by month in Antioch
July is the warmest month at Antioch, IL, averaging 82°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,897 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 158 Illinois stations. 32% of them (915) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 716.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 18 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 44 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 56 | 37 | 99% | 8 | 75 |
| May | 68 | 48 | 27% | 1 | 273 |
| Jun | 78 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 552 |
| Jul | 82 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Aug | 81 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 669 |
| Sep | 74 | 55 | 4% | <1 | 434 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 84% | 4 | 141 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 100% | 17 | 20 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Antioch, IL (750 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, Lake Villa 2NE, IL, 3 miles southeast of Antioch, has a last frost 1 day later (April 24), a first frost 2 days later (October 23), a season 1 day longer.
When it snows in Antioch, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Antioch usually arrives around November 16, and the last of the season around April 4. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lake Villa 2NE, IL, 3.2 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 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 60002
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 60002 is 1 mile from Antioch, IL, which stands at 750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 60002 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.