USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 61924 — Chrisman, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Paris Stp, IL (649 ft), 12 miles south.
Updated
In Chrisman, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 21 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 20, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Paris Stp, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 21
- First fall frost
- October 20
- Growing season
- 179 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 4
- Last snow
- March 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 19.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chrisman
Half of springs at Paris Stp, IL see their last 32°F night by April 21; only one in ten is past it by April 6, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 92% 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 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 26, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 116 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 1, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 32°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 24°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 14 |
| 20°F | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 16°F | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Paris Stp, 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 61924 →Compare Chrisman with another place →
Weather by month in Chrisman
July is the warmest month at Paris Stp, IL, averaging 84°F by day and 64°F at night; January is the coldest at 34°F and 17°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November 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 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,354 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 158 Illinois stations. 36% of them (1,206) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 747. Precipitation totals 42.7 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 34 | 17 | 2.8 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Feb | 39 | 20 | 2.3 | 100% | 23 | 4 |
| Mar | 50 | 29 | 3.0 | 100% | 18 | 38 |
| Apr | 63 | 40 | 4.9 | 97% | 5 | 143 |
| May | 73 | 51 | 4.2 | 21% | <1 | 385 |
| Jun | 82 | 61 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Jul | 84 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Sep | 78 | 54 | 2.9 | 8% | 0 | 475 |
| Oct | 66 | 43 | 3.6 | 89% | 3 | 193 |
| Nov | 51 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 15 | 37 |
| Dec | 39 | 23 | 2.9 | 100% | 25 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Paris Stp, IL (649 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, Perrysville 4 WNW, IN, 22 miles northeast of Chrisman, has a last frost 2 days later (April 23), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 14), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Chrisman, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Chrisman usually arrives around December 4, and the last of the season around March 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Paris Stp, IL, 11.6 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 44 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 61924
| 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 61924 is 12 miles from Paris Stp, IL, which stands at 649 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 61944 (Paris). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 61924 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.