USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 61410 — Abingdon, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Knoxville, IL (728 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Abingdon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 181 days (NOAA, Knoxville, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 181 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 4
- Last snow
- March 21
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 25.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Abingdon
Half of springs at Knoxville, IL see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 7, 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 May 1 20%, and after May 6 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 20 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past October 31 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 29; 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 181 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 135 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 9 days longer, to about April 30, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 |
| 16°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 28°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 24°F | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Knoxville, 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 61410 →Compare Abingdon with another place →
Weather by month in Abingdon
July is the warmest month at Knoxville, IL, averaging 84°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°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 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,254 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 67% of the 158 Illinois stations. 36% of them (1,156) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 748. Precipitation totals 40.5 inches a year, most in May (5.5") and least in January (2.1"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 14 | 2.1 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 36 | 18 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 2.6 | 100% | 21 | 33 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 4.0 | 97% | 8 | 126 |
| May | 72 | 51 | 5.5 | 20% | <1 | 365 |
| Jun | 81 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Jul | 84 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Aug | 82 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 4.2 | 1% | 0 | 463 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.0 | 91% | 5 | 166 |
| Nov | 49 | 31 | 2.5 | 100% | 18 | 28 |
| Dec | 36 | 21 | 2.2 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Knoxville, IL (728 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, Galesburg, IL, 10 miles north of Abingdon, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 20), a first frost 1 day earlier (October 19), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Abingdon, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Abingdon usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Knoxville, IL, 8.9 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 31 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 61410
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 10 – February 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 24 – April 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 21 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 61410 is 9 miles from Knoxville, IL, which stands at 728 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 61448 (Knoxville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61410 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.