Frost dates / Illinois / Evanston
Frost dates in Evanston, IL
The station on this page is CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, IL US (USC00111497), 8 miles from the city point. Population in the Census 2024 estimate is 76,006.
Zone 6aUSDA average annual extreme minimum -10°F to -5°F, from ZIP 60201 (0.6 miles from the city point used on this page).
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.
| Probability | Date | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 90% | April 11 | Earlier date. A last 32°F on or after this day is common. |
| 50% | April 26 | Median. |
| 10% | May 11 | Later 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.
| Probability | Date | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | October 5 | Earlier date. A first 32°F on or before this day is uncommon. |
| 50% | October 21 | Median. |
| 90% | November 2 | Later 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 long | Days |
|---|---|
| 10% | 197 |
| 50% | 176 |
| 90% | 155 |
28°F threshold
| 10% | 50% | 90% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last, on or after | April 28 | April 13 | March 31 |
| First, on or before | October 17 | November 1 | November 14 |
| Season at least | 222 days | 202 days | 179 days |
36°F threshold
| 10% | 50% | 90% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last, on or after | May 26 | May 8 | April 24 |
| First, on or before | September 28 | October 10 | October 24 |
| Season at least | 174 days | 154 days | 135 days |
Station CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, IL US (USC00111497). Completeness flag S, 29 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 192 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 Evanston · Zone 6a
Check a crop against this station
Evanston, IL
Zone 6aAverage annual extreme minimum -10°F to -5°F
Outside the median season Growing seasonTicks: 10%, 50%, and 90%
Illinois. Nearest qualified station: CHICAGO BOTANIC GARDEN, IL US (USC00111497), 8 miles. Median last 32°F April 26. Median first 32°F October 21. The 50% growing-season length is 176 days.
Open the ZIP page · Crop guides for Illinois
32°F probabilities at this station
| 10% | 50% | 90% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last 32°F on or after | May 11 | April 26 | April 11 |
| First 32°F on or before | October 5 | October 21 | November 2 |
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.
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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