When to plant in Council Bluffs, IA
Planting dates worked out from Council Bluffs's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 3
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 16
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
176
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Omaha Eppley Airfield · 6.5 km away · station 299 m, town 301 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 27 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 2 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | May 16 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 15 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 30 |
| Beet | — | Mar 31 – May 12 | May 20 |
| Potato | — | Mar 31 – Apr 21 | Jun 9 |
| Kale | Feb 15 – Mar 1 | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 11 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 22 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 17 |
| Winter squash | Apr 5 – Apr 12 | May 3 – May 17 | Jul 22 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 26 – May 17 | Jun 25 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 2 – Oct 30 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | Apr 29 |
| Basil | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 3 – May 17 | Jun 29 |
Council Bluffs's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1948 | Apr 13 |
| 1949 | Apr 18 |
| 1950 | Apr 27 |
| 1951 | Apr 17 |
| 1952 | Apr 15 |
| 1953 | Apr 20 |
| 1954 | May 4 |
| 1955 | Apr 7 |
| 1956 | Apr 30 |
| 1957 | Apr 14 |
| 1958 | Apr 29 |
| 1959 | Apr 22 |
| 1960 | Apr 30 |
| 1961 | May 2 |
| 1962 | Apr 15 |
| 1963 | Apr 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 9 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1966 | Apr 21 |
| 1967 | May 2 |
| 1968 | Apr 26 |
| 1969 | Apr 6 |
| 1970 | May 2 |
| 1971 | May 3 |
| 1972 | Apr 24 |
| 1973 | Apr 13 |
| 1974 | Apr 16 |
| 1975 | Apr 20 |
| 1976 | May 3 |
| 1977 | Apr 6 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | Apr 28 |
| 1980 | May 8 |
| 1981 | May 11 |
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | May 15 |
| 1984 | May 1 |
| 1985 | Apr 9 |
| 1986 | Apr 22 |
| 1987 | Apr 6 |
| 1988 | Apr 28 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | May 1 |
| 1991 | Apr 10 |
| 1992 | Apr 27 |
| 1993 | Apr 16 |
| 1994 | May 1 |
| 1995 | May 2 |
| 1996 | Apr 23 |
| 1997 | May 13 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 18 |
| 2000 | Apr 21 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | Apr 22 |
| 2003 | Apr 9 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 8 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 28 |
| 2009 | Apr 14 |
| 2010 | Apr 8 |
| 2011 | May 2 |
| 2012 | Apr 11 |
| 2013 | May 12 |
| 2014 | Apr 18 |
| 2015 | Apr 23 |
| 2016 | Apr 12 |
| 2017 | Apr 11 |
| 2018 | Apr 19 |
| 2019 | Apr 14 |
| 2020 | Apr 17 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 26 |
| 2023 | Apr 23 |
| 2024 | Apr 21 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 186 |
| 1949 | 163 |
| 1950 | 180 |
| 1951 | 163 |
| 1952 | 172 |
| 1953 | 189 |
| 1954 | 178 |
| 1955 | 190 |
| 1956 | 190 |
| 1957 | 193 |
| 1958 | 179 |
| 1959 | 177 |
| 1960 | 171 |
| 1961 | 151 |
| 1962 | 192 |
| 1963 | 188 |
| 1964 | 182 |
| 1965 | 148 |
| 1966 | 166 |
| 1967 | 161 |
| 1968 | 175 |
| 1969 | 189 |
| 1970 | 159 |
| 1971 | 159 |
| 1972 | 158 |
| 1973 | 198 |
| 1974 | 165 |
| 1975 | 163 |
| 1976 | 155 |
| 1977 | 185 |
| 1978 | 157 |
| 1979 | 164 |
| 1980 | 147 |
| 1981 | 143 |
| 1982 | 176 |
| 1983 | 130 |
| 1984 | 147 |
| 1985 | 172 |
| 1986 | 173 |
| 1987 | 179 |
| 1988 | 158 |
| 1989 | 138 |
| 1990 | 160 |
| 1991 | 161 |
| 1992 | 166 |
| 1993 | 176 |
| 1994 | 175 |
| 1996 | 183 |
| 1997 | 159 |
| 1998 | 201 |
| 1999 | 168 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 179 |
| 2003 | 172 |
| 2004 | 151 |
| 2005 | 155 |
| 2006 | 186 |
| 2007 | 195 |
| 2008 | 170 |
| 2009 | 172 |
| 2010 | 202 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 177 |
| 2013 | 159 |
| 2014 | 195 |
| 2015 | 203 |
| 2016 | 183 |
| 2017 | 198 |
| 2018 | 177 |
| 2019 | 180 |
| 2020 | 188 |
| 2021 | 192 |
| 2022 | 164 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 177 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1948 | 20.8 °C |
| 1949 | 19.9 °C |
| 1950 | 18.0 °C |
| 1951 | 18.2 °C |
| 1952 | 20.3 °C |
| 1953 | 20.1 °C |
| 1954 | 21.1 °C |
| 1955 | 21.9 °C |
| 1956 | 20.3 °C |
| 1957 | 19.7 °C |
| 1958 | 19.5 °C |
| 1959 | 19.9 °C |
| 1960 | 19.7 °C |
| 1961 | 18.7 °C |
| 1962 | 20.0 °C |
| 1963 | 20.7 °C |
| 1964 | 20.1 °C |
| 1965 | 19.7 °C |
| 1966 | 18.9 °C |
| 1967 | 18.7 °C |
| 1968 | 19.4 °C |
| 1969 | 19.8 °C |
| 1970 | 20.7 °C |
| 1971 | 20.1 °C |
| 1972 | 19.3 °C |
| 1973 | 19.3 °C |
| 1974 | 19.0 °C |
| 1975 | 20.2 °C |
| 1976 | 20.4 °C |
| 1977 | 21.6 °C |
| 1978 | 20.4 °C |
| 1979 | 19.6 °C |
| 1980 | 19.9 °C |
| 1981 | 19.4 °C |
| 1982 | 18.4 °C |
| 1983 | 19.1 °C |
| 1984 | 18.3 °C |
| 1985 | 18.4 °C |
| 1986 | 19.6 °C |
| 1987 | 20.2 °C |
| 1988 | 20.6 °C |
| 1989 | 19.4 °C |
| 1990 | 19.4 °C |
| 1991 | 20.4 °C |
| 1992 | 17.9 °C |
| 1993 | 18.3 °C |
| 1994 | 19.5 °C |
| 1995 | 19.3 °C |
| 1996 | 18.4 °C |
| 1997 | 18.8 °C |
| 1998 | 20.4 °C |
| 1999 | 19.4 °C |
| 2000 | 20.1 °C |
| 2001 | 20.2 °C |
| 2002 | 20.5 °C |
| 2003 | 19.5 °C |
| 2004 | 19.3 °C |
| 2005 | 21.0 °C |
| 2006 | 20.4 °C |
| 2007 | 20.5 °C |
| 2008 | 19.1 °C |
| 2009 | 18.8 °C |
| 2010 | 20.9 °C |
| 2011 | 20.2 °C |
| 2012 | 21.8 °C |
| 2013 | 19.8 °C |
| 2014 | 19.8 °C |
| 2015 | 20.3 °C |
| 2016 | 21.2 °C |
| 2017 | 20.8 °C |
| 2018 | 20.8 °C |
| 2019 | 21.0 °C |
| 2020 | 20.3 °C |
| 2021 | 21.1 °C |
| 2022 | 20.6 °C |
| 2023 | 21.0 °C |
| 2024 | 20.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1948, Council Bluffs's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Omaha Eppley Airfield (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.