USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 61036 — Galena, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Galena, IL (822 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In Galena, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Galena, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 170 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 17
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Galena
Half of springs at Galena, IL see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 54% of the 158 Illinois stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 2, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, shorter than at 87% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 150 one year in ten. On average 150 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 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Galena, 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 61036 →Compare Galena with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Bellevue L&D 12, IA, 10 miles south of Galena and 219 feet lower, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 25), a first frost 1 day later (October 16), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Galena, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Galena usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Galena, IL, 0.6 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 61036
| 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 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 61036 is under a mile from Galena, IL, which stands at 822 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61036 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.