USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 61726 — Chenoa, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chenoa, IL (719 ft), under a mile west.
Updated
In Chenoa, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Chenoa, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 15
- 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 1
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 19.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
23 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chenoa
Half of springs at Chenoa, IL see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 82% 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 September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 10 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 154 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 May 3, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chenoa, 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 61726 →Compare Chenoa with another place →
Weather by month in Chenoa
July is the warmest month at Chenoa, IL, averaging 84°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 32°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,234 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 158 Illinois stations. 36% of them (1,170) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 727. Precipitation totals 36.2 inches a year, most in May (4.5") and least in February (1.6"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 15 | 2.2 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 19 | 1.6 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Mar | 49 | 29 | 2.7 | 100% | 20 | 35 |
| Apr | 62 | 39 | 3.6 | 99% | 6 | 128 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 4.5 | 24% | <1 | 380 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 624 |
| Jul | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Aug | 82 | 61 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Sep | 77 | 53 | 3.1 | 12% | <1 | 459 |
| Oct | 64 | 42 | 3.2 | 94% | 4 | 180 |
| Nov | 49 | 31 | 2.6 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
| Dec | 37 | 21 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chenoa, IL (719 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, Pontiac, IL, 10 miles north of Chenoa, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 16), a first frost 9 days later (October 24), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in Chenoa, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Chenoa usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Chenoa, IL, 0.5 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 37 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 61726
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 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 61726 is under a mile from Chenoa, IL, which stands at 719 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 61739 (Fairbury). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61726 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.