Frost dates for St. Elmo, 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 3
typical year
Safe to plant
April 25
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 24
typical year
Growing season
202 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 6 – 20 | – |
| Spinach | – | Feb 20 – Mar 13 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 6 – 27 | Aug 29 – Sep 12 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 6 – Apr 17 | Sep 12 – 26 |
| Onions | – | Mar 6 – 20 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 13 – 27 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 13 – Apr 3 | Aug 1 – 15 |
| Beets | – | Mar 6 – 20 | Aug 15 – 29 |
| Kale | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 6 – 20 | Aug 15 – 29 |
| Broccoli | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Aug 15 – 29 |
| Cabbage | Jan 9 – 23 | Mar 6 – 20 | Aug 15 – 29 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 12 – Oct 3 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 25 – May 9 | – |
| Peppers | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | May 2 – 16 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Apr 25 – May 16 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Apr 25 – May 23 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Apr 25 – May 16 | – |
| Green beans | – | Apr 25 – Aug 15 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Apr 25 – May 23 | – |
| Basil | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | May 2 – 9 | – |
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 | April 25 | April 3 | March 19 |
| Fall frost before | October 9 | October 24 | November 8 |
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 March 27 (April 13 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 4.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
St. Elmo, Brownstown, Farina, St. Peter
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station BROWNSTOWN 4 SW, IL US (USC00111020), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 4 zip codes, all within 13 miles:
62418, 62458, 62838, 62880
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.