Frost dates for Rockford, 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 24
typical year
Safe to plant
May 8
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 17
typical year
Growing season
174 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 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Spinach | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Aug 22 – Sep 5 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 27 – May 8 | Sep 5 – 19 |
| Onions | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Apr 3 – 17 | – |
| Carrots | – | Apr 3 – 24 | Jul 25 – Aug 8 |
| Beets | – | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 8 – 22 |
| Kale | Feb 13 – 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 8 – 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – 27 | Apr 10 – 24 | Aug 8 – 22 |
| Cabbage | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Aug 8 – 22 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 5 – 26 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 13 – 27 | May 8 – 22 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 6 – 20 | May 15 – 29 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 8 – 29 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 8 – Aug 8 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 8 – Jun 5 | – |
| Basil | Apr 3 – 17 | May 15 – 22 | – |
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 8 | April 24 | April 10 |
| Fall frost before | October 2 | October 17 | October 30 |
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 13 (April 27 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 28.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 10 towns.
Rockford, Belvidere, Loves Park, Byron, Winnebago, Cherry Valley, Davis Junction, Stillman Valley, New Milford, Monroe Center
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station ROCKFORD GTR ROCKFORD AP, IL US (USW00094822), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 18 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
61010, 61016, 61020, 61043, 61052, 61077, 61084, 61088, 61101, 61102, 61103, 61104, 61107, 61108, 61109, 61111, 61112, 61114
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.