USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 62882 — Sandoval, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Salem, IL (550 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Sandoval, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 13 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 197 days (NOAA, Salem, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 197 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 7
- Last snow
- February 24
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 10.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sandoval
Half of springs at Salem, IL see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 82% of the 158 Illinois stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 13 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 14, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 197 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 102 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 21, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 6 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 |
| 16°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Salem, 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 62882 →Compare Sandoval with another place →
Weather by month in Sandoval
July is the warmest month at Salem, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 38°F and 21°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 77% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,010 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 158 Illinois stations. 37% of them (1,477) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 856. Precipitation totals 45.9 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38 | 21 | 3.1 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Feb | 43 | 24 | 2.6 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Mar | 54 | 33 | 3.7 | 99% | 15 | 61 |
| Apr | 66 | 44 | 4.7 | 77% | 3 | 207 |
| May | 76 | 55 | 5.0 | 1% | 0 | 472 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Sep | 80 | 57 | 3.5 | 1% | 0 | 560 |
| Oct | 69 | 45 | 3.4 | 72% | 2 | 251 |
| Nov | 54 | 34 | 4.0 | 100% | 13 | 56 |
| Dec | 43 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 23 | 8 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Salem, IL (550 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, Iuka 12 SW, IL, 11 miles southeast of Sandoval, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (October 24), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Sandoval, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sandoval usually arrives around December 7, and the last of the season around February 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Salem, IL, 9.6 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 62882
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 62882 is 10 miles from Salem, IL, which stands at 550 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 62881 (Salem). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62882 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.