USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 61874 — Savoy, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Champaign 3S, IL (721 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Savoy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 190 days (NOAA, Champaign 3S, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 190 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 14
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 20.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Savoy
Half of springs at Champaign 3S, IL see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 1, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 29 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 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, longer than at 66% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 171 one year in ten. On average 120 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 11 days longer, to about April 26, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Champaign 3S, 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 61874 →Compare Savoy with another place →
Weather by month in Savoy
July is the warmest month at Champaign 3S, IL, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 18°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,568 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 158 Illinois stations. 36% of them (1,287) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 781. Precipitation totals 41.0 inches a year, most in May (4.8") and least in February (2.2"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 18 | 2.3 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
| Feb | 38 | 21 | 2.2 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Mar | 50 | 31 | 2.8 | 100% | 18 | 41 |
| Apr | 63 | 42 | 3.9 | 91% | 5 | 152 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 4.8 | 8% | <1 | 417 |
| Jun | 83 | 62 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 672 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 3.4 | 1% | <1 | 518 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.4 | 81% | 3 | 205 |
| Nov | 51 | 32 | 3.2 | 100% | 16 | 35 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 2.4 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Champaign 3S, IL (721 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, Champaign Willard Airport, IL, 2 miles southwest of Savoy, has a last frost 4 days later (April 19), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 17), a season 10 days shorter.
When it snows in Savoy, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Savoy usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Champaign 3S, IL, 1.6 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 61874
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 61874 is 2 miles from Champaign 3S, IL, which stands at 721 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 61820 (Champaign). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61874 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.