USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 61752 — Le Roy, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Normal 4NE, IL (790 ft), 17 miles northwest.
Updated
In Le Roy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 16, as early as October 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 172 days (NOAA, Normal 4NE, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 16
- Growing season
- 172 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 1
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Le Roy
Half of springs at Normal 4NE, IL see their last 32°F night by April 25; 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 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 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 16 in half of years, as early as October 2 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 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 172 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 133 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 May 4, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 26 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 16°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Apr 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Normal 4NE, 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 61752 →Compare Le Roy with another place →
Weather by month in Le Roy
July is the warmest month at Normal 4NE, IL, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 33°F and 16°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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,354 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 158 Illinois stations. 36% of them (1,191) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 759. Precipitation totals 39.3 inches a year, most in May (4.8") and least in February (2.0"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33 | 16 | 2.4 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 19 | 2.0 | 100% | 25 | 3 |
| Mar | 50 | 28 | 2.6 | 100% | 22 | 34 |
| Apr | 63 | 38 | 3.7 | 100% | 8 | 124 |
| May | 74 | 50 | 4.8 | 32% | 1 | 380 |
| Jun | 83 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Aug | 84 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 701 |
| Sep | 79 | 53 | 3.2 | 7% | <1 | 480 |
| Oct | 66 | 42 | 3.5 | 94% | 5 | 187 |
| Nov | 50 | 31 | 2.8 | 100% | 18 | 33 |
| Dec | 38 | 21 | 2.3 | 100% | 27 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Normal 4NE, IL (790 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, Bloomington 5W, IL, 20 miles northwest of Le Roy, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 21), a first frost 4 days later (October 20), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Le Roy, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Le Roy 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 Normal 4NE, IL, 17.3 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 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 61752
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 24 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 2 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 16 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 61752 is 17 miles from Normal 4NE, IL, which stands at 790 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 61761 (Normal). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61752 in zone 6a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -10 to -5°F (-23.3 to -20.6°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.