Frost dates · USDA zone 6a
Frost dates for Normal, IL
Normal, IL sees its last 32 °F night of spring around April 25 and its first of fall around October 16 — a 172-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Apr 11 | Oct 29 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Apr 25 | Oct 16 |
| 1 year in 10 | May 11 | Oct 2 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 172 days median, at least 152 in 9 years of 10, at least 192 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Apr 14 and first of Oct 27.
Normal planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Apr 25) and median first frost (Oct 16) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Jan 31 | Mar 28 | Jul 16 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Apr 25 | May 25 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Apr 11 | Apr 11 | May 26 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Mar 28 | May 9 | Jul 8 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 28 | May 2 | Jul 16 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Feb 14 | May 9 | Aug 12 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 28 | May 2 | Jul 16 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 28 | May 2 | Jul 21 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Feb 28 | May 2 | Jul 21 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Apr 11 | Apr 11 | Jun 20 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Mar 14 | May 2 | Jul 11 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Mar 14 | May 2 | Jul 16 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Mar 14 | May 2 | Jul 21 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can Normal grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a Normal container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
Normal frost questions
When is the last frost in Normal, IL?
The median last 32 °F freeze at NORMAL 4NE, IL is April 25: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after May 11; nine years in ten, it comes after April 11. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in Normal, IL?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is October 16. One year in ten it arrives before October 2; nine years in ten, before October 29.
How long is the growing season in Normal, IL?
172 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 152 days; one year in ten, at least 192 days.
What growing zone is Normal, IL?
USDA hardiness zone 6a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 61761. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in Normal, IL?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Mar 14 and transplant around May 2, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for May 11. First ripe fruit lands around Jul 16.
When should I plant peppers in Normal, IL?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Feb 28; transplant no earlier than May 2, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around Jul 16.
Nearby in Illinois
- Bloomingtonlast frost Apr 21
- Peorialast frost Apr 16
- Decaturlast frost Apr 14
- Champaignlast frost Apr 15
- Springfieldlast frost Apr 15
- Jolietlast frost Apr 19
All Illinois frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →