USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 62958 — Makanda, Illinois
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL (390 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Makanda, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 22, as early as October 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 22
- Growing season
- 195 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 27
- Last snow
- February 18
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 11.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Makanda
Half of springs at Carbondale Sewage Plt, 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 25. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 25 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 22 in half of years, as early as October 10 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 14, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, longer than at 78% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 214 days one year in ten and falls short of 175 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 22, and return around October 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 10 and February 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 |
| 16°F | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 32°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carbondale Sewage Plt, 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 62958 →Compare Makanda with another place →
Weather by month in Makanda
July is the warmest month at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 41°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,111 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 158 Illinois stations. 38% of them (1,550) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 863. Precipitation totals 49.0 inches a year, most in April (5.6") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 23 | 3.4 | 100% | 25 | 9 |
| Feb | 46 | 26 | 3.1 | 100% | 21 | 15 |
| Mar | 56 | 35 | 4.5 | 99% | 14 | 73 |
| Apr | 68 | 44 | 5.6 | 72% | 4 | 229 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 5.2 | 3% | 0 | 493 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 863 |
| Aug | 87 | 65 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Sep | 81 | 56 | 3.4 | 1% | <1 | 559 |
| Oct | 70 | 44 | 3.7 | 85% | 4 | 252 |
| Nov | 56 | 35 | 4.5 | 100% | 14 | 68 |
| Dec | 45 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL (390 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, Anna 2 NNE, IL, 10 miles south of Makanda and 250 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 8), a first frost 7 days later (October 29), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Makanda, Illinois
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Makanda usually arrives around December 27, and the last of the season around February 18. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, 8.2 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 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 62958
| 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 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 62958 is 8 miles from Carbondale Sewage Plt, IL, which stands at 390 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 62959 (Marion). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62958 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.