USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 62806 — Albion, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Albion, IL (530 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In Albion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Albion, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 15
- Last snow
- February 12
- Winters with snow
- 93%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
14 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Albion
Half of springs at Albion, IL see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 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 28 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 225 days one year in ten and falls short of 184 one year in ten. On average 91 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 15, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 8 and February 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Albion, 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 62806 →Compare Albion with another place →
Weather by month in Albion
July is the warmest month at Albion, IL, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 23°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,395 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 158 Illinois stations. 37% of them (1,647) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 894.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 23 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Feb | 45 | 27 | 100% | 19 | 11 |
| Mar | 55 | 36 | 99% | 13 | 74 |
| Apr | 67 | 47 | 60% | 2 | 254 |
| May | 77 | 57 | 2% | <1 | 536 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 842 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 1% | <1 | 624 |
| Oct | 71 | 47 | 64% | 2 | 302 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 100% | 11 | 76 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Albion, IL (530 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, Grayville, IL, 8 miles southeast of Albion, has a last frost 3 days later (April 7), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 25), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Albion, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Albion usually arrives around December 15, and the last of the season around February 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Albion, IL, 0.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 93% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 62806
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 62806 is under a mile from Albion, IL, which stands at 530 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62806 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.