Frost dates for St. Joseph, 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 7
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
October 21
typical year
Growing season
182 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 26 – Sep 9 |
| Lettuce | – | Mar 23 – Apr 13 | Aug 26 – Sep 9 |
| Radishes | – | Mar 23 – May 4 | Sep 9 – 23 |
| Onions | – | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | – |
| Carrots | – | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jul 29 – Aug 12 |
| Beets | – | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 12 – 26 |
| Kale | Feb 9 – 23 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 12 – 26 |
| Broccoli | Feb 9 – 23 | Apr 6 – 20 | Aug 12 – 26 |
| Cabbage | Jan 26 – Feb 9 | Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Aug 12 – 26 |
| Garlic | – | – | Sep 9 – 30 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Mar 12 – 26 | May 7 – 21 | – |
| Peppers | Mar 5 – 19 | May 14 – 28 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | May 7 – 28 | – |
| Zucchini | – | May 7 – Jun 4 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | May 7 – 28 | – |
| Green beans | – | May 7 – Aug 12 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | May 7 – Jun 4 | – |
| Basil | Apr 2 – 16 | May 14 – 21 | – |
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 7 | April 20 | April 7 |
| Fall frost before | October 8 | October 21 | November 2 |
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 9 (April 25 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 31.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 7 towns.
St. Joseph, Sidney, Homer, Ogden, Fithian, Royal, Muncie
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station OGDEN, IL US (USC00116344), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 8 zip codes, all within 10 miles:
61812, 61844, 61849, 61857, 61859, 61871, 61873, 61877
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.