Frost dates for Lincoln, IL
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
April 20
typical year
Safe to plant
May 4
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 16
typical year
Growing season
179 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 9 – 30 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | Aug 21 – Sep 4 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 23 – May 4 | Sep 4 – 18 |
| Onions | – | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jul 24 – Aug 7 |
| Beets | – | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 7 – 21 |
| Kale | Feb 9 – 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 7 – 21 |
| Broccoli | Feb 9 – 23 | Apr 6 – 20 | Aug 7 – 21 |
| Cabbage | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 7 – 21 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 4 – 25 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 9 – 23 | May 4 – 18 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 2 – 16 | May 11 – 25 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 4 – 25 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 4 – Jun 1 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 4 – 25 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 4 – Aug 7 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 4 – Jun 1 | – |
| Basil | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 11 – 18 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | May 4 | April 20 | April 5 |
| Fall frost before | October 3 | October 16 | October 29 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 7 (April 24 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 26.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 11 towns.
Lincoln, Clinton, Atlanta, Mount Pulaski, Emden, Elkhart, Waynesville, Armington, Kenney, Hartsburg, Broadwell
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station LINCOLN, IL US (USC00115079), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 15 zip codes, all within 20 miles:
61721, 61723, 61727, 61749, 61751, 61778, 62512, 62518, 62519, 62541, 62548, 62634, 62635, 62643, 62656
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.