USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 62869 — Norris City, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carmi 3, IL (335 ft), 10 miles northeast.
Updated
In Norris City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 19, as early as October 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 183 days (NOAA, Carmi 3, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 19
- Growing season
- 183 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 16
- Last snow
- February 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 11.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Norris City
Half of springs at Carmi 3, IL see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 2. Planting tender crops after April 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 2 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 79% of the 158 Illinois stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 19 in half of years, as early as October 4 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 183 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 202 days one year in ten and falls short of 161 one year in ten. On average 103 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 28, and return around October 8. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 1 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 28°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 20°F | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 12 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carmi 3, 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 62869 →Compare Norris City with another place →
Weather by month in Norris City
July is the warmest month at Carmi 3, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°F and 21°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October 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 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,921 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 158 Illinois stations. 38% of them (1,477) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 826. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in April (5.2") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 21 | 3.5 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Feb | 46 | 23 | 3.1 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Mar | 56 | 33 | 4.4 | 100% | 14 | 59 |
| Apr | 68 | 43 | 5.2 | 91% | 3 | 215 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 5.2 | 12% | 0 | 472 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Aug | 87 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Sep | 81 | 55 | 3.2 | 6% | <1 | 544 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.4 | 93% | 3 | 239 |
| Nov | 56 | 32 | 4.2 | 100% | 15 | 53 |
| Dec | 45 | 25 | 3.9 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carmi 3, IL (335 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, Mcleansboro, IL, 15 miles northwest of Norris City, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 2 days later (October 21), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Norris City, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Norris City usually arrives around December 16, and the last of the season around February 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Carmi 3, IL, 9.7 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 54 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 62869
| 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 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 19 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 62869 is 10 miles from Carmi 3, IL, which stands at 335 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 62821 (Carmi). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62869 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.