USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 60177 — South Elgin, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elgin, IL (763 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In South Elgin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 18, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Elgin, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 18
- Growing season
- 174 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
- December 2
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 32.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Elgin
Half of springs at Elgin, IL see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 12 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 18 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 193 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 139 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 10 days longer, to about May 6, and return around October 7. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 13.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 18 | May 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elgin, 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 60177 →Compare South Elgin with another place →
Weather by month in South Elgin
July is the warmest month at Elgin, IL, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 14°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,994 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 85% of the 158 Illinois stations. 33% of them (989) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 733. Precipitation totals 39.9 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in February (1.9"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 14 | 2.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 34 | 17 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.4 | 100% | 23 | 20 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 4.0 | 99% | 9 | 86 |
| May | 70 | 48 | 5.1 | 33% | <1 | 305 |
| Jun | 80 | 58 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 674 |
| Sep | 76 | 53 | 3.5 | 7% | <1 | 431 |
| Oct | 63 | 41 | 3.3 | 90% | 5 | 143 |
| Nov | 48 | 30 | 2.7 | 100% | 18 | 21 |
| Dec | 36 | 20 | 2.2 | 100% | 28 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elgin, IL (763 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, West Chicago Dupage Airport, IL, 6 miles southeast of South Elgin, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 25), a first frost 1 day later (October 19).
When it snows in South Elgin, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Elgin usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Elgin, IL, 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 60177
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 18 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 60177 is 5 miles from Elgin, IL, which stands at 763 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 60120 (Elgin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 60177 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.