USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 62858 — Louisville, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Flora 5 NW, IL (500 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Louisville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 7 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 196 days (NOAA, Flora 5 NW, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 196 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 13
- Last snow
- February 26
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 8.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Louisville
Half of springs at Flora 5 NW, IL see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 26 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 7 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 196 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 172 one year in ten. On average 99 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 13 days longer, to about April 23, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 7 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 16°F | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Flora 5 NW, 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 62858 →Compare Louisville with another place →
Weather by month in Louisville
July is the warmest month at Flora 5 NW, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 67°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,159 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 158 Illinois stations. 38% of them (1,586) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 840. Precipitation totals 46.4 inches a year, most in May (5.3") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 23 | 3.4 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 2.6 | 100% | 20 | 14 |
| Mar | 57 | 35 | 3.8 | 99% | 14 | 82 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 4.6 | 79% | 4 | 250 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.3 | 2% | 0 | 503 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 729 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 840 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Sep | 81 | 57 | 3.3 | 5% | <1 | 572 |
| Oct | 70 | 46 | 4.3 | 78% | 4 | 283 |
| Nov | 56 | 36 | 4.1 | 100% | 12 | 77 |
| Dec | 44 | 27 | 3.0 | 100% | 22 | 13 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Flora 5 NW, IL (500 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, Flora, IL, 9 miles south of Louisville, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 9), a first frost 1 day later (October 24), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Louisville, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Louisville usually arrives around December 13, and the last of the season around February 26. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Flora 5 NW, 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 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 62858
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 62858 is 8 miles from Flora 5 NW, IL, which stands at 500 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62858 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.