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USDA Hardiness Zone 7a

Frost Dates for 62995 — Vienna, Illinois

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL (527 ft), 12 miles east.

Updated

In Vienna, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 14 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 6 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 189 days (NOAA, Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL).

Last spring frost
April 14

50% probability

First fall frost
October 21

50% probability

Growing season
189 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7a

0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night

First snow
December 22

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 10

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
95%

19 of 20 observed

Snow per year
7.2"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Vienna

Half of springs at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL see their last 32°F night by April 14; only one in ten is past it by March 28, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 20 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 30 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 21 in half of years, as early as October 6 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 October 31; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 19, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 189 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 158 Illinois stations; it reaches 208 days one year in ten and falls short of 169 one year in ten. On average 80 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 10 days longer, to about April 24, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 3 and February 26.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 10Apr 15Apr 18Apr 21Apr 24Apr 28May 1May 5May 10
32°FMar 28Apr 3Apr 7Apr 11Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20Apr 24Apr 30
28°FMar 14Mar 22Mar 27Mar 31Apr 2Apr 5Apr 9Apr 13Apr 19
24°FFeb 28Mar 7Mar 12Mar 16Mar 20Mar 25Mar 30Apr 2Apr 7
20°FFeb 18Feb 24Feb 28Mar 3Mar 7Mar 11Mar 15Mar 20Mar 27
16°FFeb 2Feb 10Feb 17Feb 22Feb 26Mar 1Mar 5Mar 10Mar 16
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 15
24°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 28
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 10
16°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19Dec 27

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, 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 62995 →Compare Vienna with another place →

Weather by month in Vienna

July is the warmest month at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 43°F and 26°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 84% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 4,288 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 158 Illinois stations. 38% of them (1,637) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 849. Precipitation totals 50.6 inches a year, most in May (5.2") and least in February (3.6"); May to September bring 42% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan43263.8100%2112
Feb49293.6100%1625
Mar59374.799%10100
Apr70465.084%2271
May77565.29%0509
Jun85634.10%0721
Jul88674.40%0849
Aug87653.70%0809
Sep82583.83%0593
Oct71463.886%2297
Nov57374.3100%1085
Dec46294.2100%1818

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL (527 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, 20 miles west of Vienna, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 8 days later (October 29), a season 14 days longer.

Frost dates for 62906 (Anna) →

When it snows in Vienna, Illinois

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Vienna usually arrives around December 22, and the last of the season around February 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Grand Chain Dam 53, IL, 17.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 95% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 63 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 62995

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Vienna, Illinois
WhenWhat to do
February 3 – February 17Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
February 17 – March 3Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
March 17 – March 31Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
April 14 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 29Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 7Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 21 onwardPlant 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 62995 is 12 miles from Dixon Springs Agric Ctr, IL, which stands at 527 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 62995 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.

Frost dates across Illinois →

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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 7a places in Illinois