When to plant in Northwood, IA

Planting dates worked out from Northwood's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Safe to plant out

May 13

1 year in 10 has a later frost

Average last frost

Apr 29

about a 50% chance of a later one

Average first fall frost

Oct 2

1 year in 10 by Sep 20

Frost-free days

153

median, 1991–2020

Station used: Northwood · 0.7 km away · station 363 m, town 375 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

Plan your garden.

Build my Northwood plan

Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 18 – Apr 1	May 13 – May 27	Jul 7
Sweet pepper	Mar 4 – Mar 18	May 13 – May 27	Jul 12
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 7 – Mar 14	Apr 11 – Apr 25	May 21
Peas	—	Apr 11 – May 9	Jun 5
Bush beans	—	May 6 – May 27	Jun 25
Carrot	—	Apr 21 – Jun 2	Jun 20
Beet	—	Apr 21 – Jun 2	Jun 10
Potato	—	Apr 21 – May 12	Jun 30
Kale	Mar 7 – Mar 21	Apr 18 – May 2	May 31
Broccoli	Feb 28 – Mar 14	Apr 11 – May 2	Jun 10
Cucumber	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Jul 2
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Jun 27
Winter squash	Apr 15 – Apr 22	May 13 – May 27	Aug 1
Sweet corn	—	May 6 – May 27	Jul 5
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 11 – May 2	Jul 10
Garlic	—	Sep 18 – Oct 16 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 11 – May 9	May 19
Basil	Apr 1 – Apr 15	May 13 – May 27	Jul 9

Plan all 65 crops for Northwood

Northwood'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
1897	Jun 1
1898	Apr 26
1899	May 13
1900	May 5
1901	May 12
1902	Apr 24
1903	May 3
1905	Apr 30
1906	May 7
1907	May 27
1908	May 3
1909	May 10
1910	May 5
1912	Apr 27
1913	Apr 28
1914	Apr 20
1915	Apr 13
1916	May 10
1920	May 14
1921	May 16
1922	Apr 28
1923	May 9
1928	Apr 27
1930	May 17
1931	May 23
1932	Apr 27
1933	Apr 27
1934	Apr 27
1935	May 5
1936	Apr 26
1937	May 14
1938	May 8
1939	Apr 22
1940	May 3
1941	Apr 24
1942	Apr 20
1943	May 7
1944	May 6
1945	May 10
1946	May 12
1947	May 29
1948	Apr 17
1949	Apr 24
1950	May 7
1952	Apr 25
1955	May 8
1956	May 16
1957	May 5
1958	Apr 29
1959	Apr 21
1960	May 11
1961	May 2
1962	Apr 20
1963	May 23
1964	Apr 15
1965	Apr 28
1966	May 11
1967	May 4
1968	May 10
1969	May 12
1970	May 2
1971	May 12
1972	Apr 26
1973	May 3
1974	May 6
1975	Apr 22
1976	May 7
1977	Apr 8
1978	May 2
1979	May 12
1980	May 7
1981	May 11
1982	Apr 27
1983	May 15
1984	Apr 30
1985	Apr 9
1986	Apr 22
1987	Apr 6
1988	Apr 28
1989	May 7
1990	May 2
1991	Apr 22
1992	Apr 27
1993	Apr 22
1995	Apr 27
1996	May 1
1997	May 21
1999	Apr 23
2000	Apr 21
2001	Apr 18
2002	May 4
2003	Apr 23
2004	May 4
2005	May 5
2006	Apr 9
2007	Apr 16
2008	May 22
2011	May 4
2012	Apr 21
2013	May 12
2018	Apr 29
2019	May 4
2020	May 13
2021	May 12
2024	Apr 26
2026	May 11

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1897	110
1898	156
1899	136
1900	155
1901	128
1902	172
1903	158
1905	163
1906	154
1907	120
1908	147
1909	154
1910	169
1912	151
1913	146
1914	188
1915	174
1920	139
1922	166
1923	162
1928	180
1930	133
1931	146
1932	161
1933	167
1934	152
1935	144
1936	158
1937	134
1938	166
1939	156
1940	164
1941	157
1942	156
1943	159
1944	155
1945	140
1946	152
1947	115
1948	175
1949	157
1955	159
1956	136
1957	157
1958	154
1959	170
1960	160
1961	148
1962	185
1963	158
1964	165
1965	150
1966	142
1967	146
1968	146
1969	154
1970	154
1971	168
1972	156
1973	179
1974	138
1975	162
1976	151
1977	180
1978	158
1979	145
1980	150
1981	139
1982	171
1983	129
1984	148
1985	174
1986	166
1987	179
1988	158
1989	138
1990	160
1991	149
1992	153
1993	159
1995	147
1996	154
1999	150
2001	159
2002	142
2003	159
2004	153
2005	155
2006	185
2007	151
2008	146
2012	153
2018	164
2019	160
2020	141
2021	162
2024	163

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1896	16.7 °C
1897	16.4 °C
1898	16.9 °C
1899	16.9 °C
1900	18.4 °C
1901	18.5 °C
1902	15.9 °C
1903	16.2 °C
1904	15.8 °C
1905	16.7 °C
1906	17.3 °C
1907	14.8 °C
1908	16.7 °C
1910	17.2 °C
1912	16.2 °C
1913	17.1 °C
1914	16.9 °C
1915	15.7 °C
1916	16.8 °C
1920	15.7 °C
1921	18.5 °C
1922	17.8 °C
1923	17.0 °C
1926	16.2 °C
1928	15.8 °C
1929	16.3 °C
1930	17.7 °C
1931	18.7 °C
1932	17.3 °C
1933	18.1 °C
1934	18.3 °C
1935	16.4 °C
1936	18.2 °C
1937	17.3 °C
1938	17.0 °C
1939	17.7 °C
1940	16.9 °C
1941	18.3 °C
1942	16.6 °C
1943	16.3 °C
1944	17.0 °C
1945	15.1 °C
1946	16.4 °C
1947	16.1 °C
1948	17.7 °C
1949	17.9 °C
1950	15.2 °C
1952	16.6 °C
1955	19.1 °C
1957	17.4 °C
1958	17.2 °C
1959	18.2 °C
1960	17.4 °C
1961	16.1 °C
1962	17.0 °C
1963	17.9 °C
1964	18.1 °C
1965	16.6 °C
1966	16.6 °C
1967	16.1 °C
1968	16.9 °C
1969	17.2 °C
1970	17.8 °C
1971	17.5 °C
1972	17.1 °C
1973	17.4 °C
1974	17.1 °C
1975	17.4 °C
1976	18.3 °C
1977	19.5 °C
1978	18.2 °C
1979	17.1 °C
1980	18.5 °C
1981	17.8 °C
1982	16.7 °C
1983	17.5 °C
1984	17.5 °C
1985	18.1 °C
1986	18.3 °C
1987	19.3 °C
1988	19.5 °C
1989	16.5 °C
1990	16.6 °C
1991	17.4 °C
1992	14.8 °C
1993	14.9 °C
1995	16.4 °C
1996	15.2 °C
1997	15.0 °C
1999	16.4 °C
2000	16.1 °C
2001	16.5 °C
2002	16.6 °C
2003	16.2 °C
2004	15.7 °C
2005	17.4 °C
2006	16.9 °C
2007	16.8 °C
2008	15.4 °C
2009	15.2 °C
2011	16.6 °C
2012	17.5 °C
2017	16.8 °C
2018	15.9 °C
2019	15.8 °C
2020	15.8 °C
2021	16.6 °C
2023	16.6 °C
2024	16.6 °C

What this means for you: Since 1897, Northwood'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 Northwood (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

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