Frost dates / Illinois / Aurora

Frost dates in Aurora, IL

The station on this page is AURORA, IL US (USC00110338), 1.5 miles from the city point. Population in the Census 2024 estimate is 180,710.

Zone 5bUSDA average annual extreme minimum -15°F to -10°F, from ZIP 60505 (0.3 miles from the city point used on this page).

Median last 32°F is April 19. Median first 32°F is October 23. The 50% growing-season length is 185 days. The green band runs from the median last frost to the median first frost. Thin ticks mark the 10%, 50%, and 90% dates.

Outside the median season Growing seasonTicks: 10%, 50%, and 90%

Last 32°F in spring

NCEI’s probability is the chance the last spring minimum of 32°F or lower occurs on or after the date.

ProbabilityDateHow to read it
90%April 5Earlier date. A last 32°F on or after this day is common.
50%April 19Median.
10%May 4Later date. A last 32°F on or after this day is uncommon.

First 32°F in fall

NCEI’s probability is the chance the first autumn minimum of 32°F or lower occurs on or before the date.

ProbabilityDateHow to read it
10%October 9Earlier date. A first 32°F on or before this day is uncommon.
50%October 23Median.
90%November 3Later date. A first 32°F on or before this day is common.

32°F growing-season length

Days between the last spring 32°F and the first autumn 32°F. The figure is a length the season meets or exceeds at that probability, from NCEI, not a subtraction done on this site.

Probability the season is at least this longDays
10%205
50%185
90%164

28°F threshold

10%50%90%
Last, on or afterApril 23April 8March 25
First, on or beforeOctober 21November 2November 16
Season at least228 days207 days186 days

36°F threshold

10%50%90%
Last, on or afterMay 19May 1April 17
First, on or beforeSeptember 29October 13October 25
Season at least183 days164 days143 days

Station AURORA, IL US (USC00110338). Completeness flag S, 28 years used for the 32°F dates. NCEI’s annual probability of at least one day at or below 32°F is 100%. Freeze dates are conditional on that threshold occurring. Elevation 201.2 m. The same probability language applies to the 28°F and 36°F rows when those dates passed the same quality checks.

Planting calendar for Aurora · Zone 5b

Check a crop against this station

Aurora, IL

Zone 5bAverage annual extreme minimum -15°F to -10°F

Median last 32°F is April 19. Median first 32°F is October 23. The 50% growing-season length is 185 days. The green band runs from the median last frost to the median first frost. Thin ticks mark the 10%, 50%, and 90% dates.

Outside the median season Growing seasonTicks: 10%, 50%, and 90%

Illinois. Nearest qualified station: AURORA, IL US (USC00110338), 1.5 miles. Median last 32°F April 19. Median first 32°F October 23. The 50% growing-season length is 185 days.

Open the ZIP page · Crop guides for Illinois

32°F probabilities at this station
10%50%90%
Last 32°F on or afterMay 4April 19April 5
First 32°F on or beforeOctober 9October 23November 3

Column order matches the NCEI file: for the last freeze, 10% is the later date and 90% is the earlier date. How to read the probabilities.

A wall calendar surrounded by vegetables, herbs, seed packets, and watering cans.

Planting calendar

Windows below are from University of Illinois Extension, When to Plant, retrieved 2026-10-10. The planting chart is divided into Northern Illinois, Central Illinois, and Southern Illinois. Median dates for the last 32-degree freeze on the same page: Northern Illinois April 8-29; Central Illinois April 8-15; Southern Illinois April 1-8. The page also says southern Illinois can generally start crops two weeks earlier than central Illinois and northern Illinois about two weeks later; the crop rows below are the chart dates, not a recalculation of that sentence.

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