USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 60450 — Morris, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Morris 1 NW, IL (524 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Morris, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 184 days (NOAA, Morris 1 NW, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 184 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 3
- Last snow
- March 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 24.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morris
Half of springs at Morris 1 NW, IL see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 30 20%, and after May 6 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 184 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 204 days one year in ten and falls short of 163 one year in ten. On average 127 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 April 30, and return around October 12. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Morris 1 NW, 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 60450 →Compare Morris with another place →
Weather by month in Morris
July is the warmest month at Morris 1 NW, IL, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 31°F and 16°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 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,357 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 158 Illinois stations. 35% of them (1,172) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 773. Precipitation totals 38.7 inches a year, most in July (4.9") and least in February (1.8"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31 | 16 | 2.1 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 19 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 48 | 29 | 2.2 | 100% | 21 | 30 |
| Apr | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 97% | 6 | 126 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 4.4 | 20% | <1 | 370 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Aug | 83 | 63 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Sep | 77 | 55 | 3.6 | 3% | 0 | 485 |
| Oct | 64 | 43 | 3.2 | 84% | 4 | 184 |
| Nov | 49 | 32 | 2.5 | 100% | 16 | 32 |
| Dec | 37 | 22 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Morris 1 NW, IL (524 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, Channahon Dresden Isl Dam, IL, 7 miles east of Morris, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 3 days later (October 26), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Morris, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Morris usually arrives around December 3, and the last of the season around March 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Morris 1 NW, IL, 1.4 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 60450
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 60450 is 1 mile from Morris 1 NW, IL, which stands at 524 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 60450 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.