USDA Hardiness Zone 6a
Frost Dates for 62712 — Springfield, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Springfield #2, IL (599 ft), 6 miles northwest.
Updated
In Springfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 188 days (NOAA, Springfield #2, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 188 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 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 21.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Springfield
Half of springs at Springfield #2, IL see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 3, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 30 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 188 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 114 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 12 days longer, to about April 27, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 20°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 |
| 16°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Springfield #2, 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 62712 →Compare Springfield with another place →
Weather by month in Springfield
July is the warmest month at Springfield #2, IL, averaging 86°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 36°F and 19°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 3,608 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 158 Illinois stations. 37% of them (1,320) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 797. Precipitation totals 40.5 inches a year, most in May (5.1") and least in January (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 | 36 | 19 | 2.2 | 100% | 26 | 2 |
| Feb | 41 | 22 | 2.2 | 100% | 24 | 8 |
| Mar | 52 | 31 | 3.0 | 100% | 18 | 53 |
| Apr | 65 | 41 | 4.1 | 94% | 5 | 163 |
| May | 74 | 53 | 5.1 | 9% | <1 | 415 |
| Jun | 83 | 63 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Jul | 86 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 797 |
| Aug | 84 | 64 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Sep | 78 | 56 | 3.1 | 3% | 0 | 502 |
| Oct | 66 | 44 | 3.1 | 85% | 3 | 207 |
| Nov | 53 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 40 |
| Dec | 41 | 24 | 2.3 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Springfield #2, IL (599 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, Springfield Capital Airport, IL, 8 miles northwest of Springfield, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 14), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 20), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Springfield, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Springfield usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Springfield Capital Airport, IL, 8.4 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 62712
| 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 July 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 22 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 62712 is 6 miles from Springfield #2, IL, which stands at 599 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 8 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 62704 (Springfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62712 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.