USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 60060 — Mundelein, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mundelein 4 WSW, IL (840 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Mundelein, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 29 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Mundelein 4 WSW, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 29
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 172 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 23
- Last snow
- April 6
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mundelein
Half of springs at Mundelein 4 WSW, IL see their last 32°F night by April 29; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 140 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 May 10, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mundelein 4 WSW, 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 60060 →Compare Mundelein with another place →
Weather by month in Mundelein
July is the warmest month at Mundelein 4 WSW, IL, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 14°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,783 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 158 Illinois stations. 32% of them (895) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 688. Precipitation totals 38.6 inches a year, most in May (4.6") and least in January (1.8"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 14 | 1.8 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 16 | 1.9 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Mar | 44 | 26 | 2.5 | 100% | 23 | 18 |
| Apr | 57 | 36 | 4.0 | 100% | 10 | 71 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.6 | 45% | 1 | 268 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 536 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Aug | 81 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 645 |
| Sep | 74 | 53 | 3.4 | 7% | 0 | 402 |
| Oct | 61 | 42 | 3.2 | 88% | 5 | 132 |
| Nov | 47 | 30 | 2.5 | 100% | 18 | 19 |
| Dec | 34 | 20 | 2.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mundelein 4 WSW, IL (840 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, Waukegan, IL, 9 miles northeast of Mundelein, has a last frost 1 day later (April 30), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 19), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Mundelein, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mundelein usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around April 6. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mundelein 4 WSW, IL, 3.4 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 60060
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 18 – March 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 1 – April 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 20 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 60060 is 3 miles from Mundelein 4 WSW, IL, which stands at 840 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 60047 (Lake Zurich). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 60060 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.