When to plant in Dwight, IL
Planting dates worked out from Dwight's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 20
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Oct 2
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Dwight Wwtp · 1.8 km away · station 190 m, town 192 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 25 – Apr 8 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 14 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 11 – Mar 25 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 19 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 23 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 13 | May 9 |
| Peas | — | Mar 29 – Apr 26 | May 23 |
| Bush beans | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 2 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | Jun 7 |
| Beet | — | Apr 8 – May 20 | May 28 |
| Potato | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 17 |
| Kale | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 18 |
| Broccoli | Feb 16 – Mar 2 | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | May 29 |
| Cucumber | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 9 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 4 |
| Winter squash | Apr 22 – Apr 29 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Aug 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 13 – Jun 3 | Jul 12 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 30 – Apr 20 | Jun 28 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 29 – Apr 26 | May 6 |
| Basil | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 20 – Jun 3 | Jul 16 |
Dwight'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 |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Apr 1 |
| 1992 | May 27 |
| 1993 | Jun 5 |
| 1994 | Apr 23 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | Apr 26 |
| 1998 | Apr 11 |
| 1999 | Apr 30 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 10 |
| 2007 | Apr 17 |
| 2008 | May 20 |
| 2009 | Apr 22 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 17 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 23 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 14 |
| 2017 | Apr 23 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 10 |
| 2021 | May 8 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 28 |
| 2024 | Apr 26 |
| 2025 | Apr 16 |
| 2026 | May 2 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 192 |
| 1992 | 142 |
| 1993 | 116 |
| 1994 | 169 |
| 1995 | 151 |
| 1996 | 166 |
| 1997 | 171 |
| 1998 | 193 |
| 1999 | 166 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 170 |
| 2006 | 184 |
| 2008 | 160 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 173 |
| 2011 | 186 |
| 2012 | 149 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 171 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 211 |
| 2017 | 188 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 147 |
| 2022 | 162 |
| 2023 | 184 |
| 2024 | 172 |
| 2025 | 189 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1991 | 20.1 °C |
| 1992 | 16.5 °C |
| 1993 | 17.7 °C |
| 1994 | 17.8 °C |
| 1995 | 18.3 °C |
| 1996 | 17.3 °C |
| 1997 | 16.7 °C |
| 1998 | 19.5 °C |
| 1999 | 19.1 °C |
| 2000 | 18.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.8 °C |
| 2002 | 18.7 °C |
| 2003 | 17.6 °C |
| 2004 | 17.9 °C |
| 2005 | 19.1 °C |
| 2006 | 18.2 °C |
| 2008 | 17.5 °C |
| 2009 | 17.1 °C |
| 2010 | 19.6 °C |
| 2011 | 18.2 °C |
| 2012 | 19.1 °C |
| 2013 | 17.7 °C |
| 2014 | 17.4 °C |
| 2015 | 18.4 °C |
| 2016 | 18.8 °C |
| 2017 | 18.0 °C |
| 2018 | 18.6 °C |
| 2019 | 18.5 °C |
| 2020 | 17.9 °C |
| 2021 | 18.2 °C |
| 2022 | 18.0 °C |
| 2023 | 18.3 °C |
| 2024 | 19.2 °C |
| 2025 | 19.0 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1991, Dwight's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 5 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Dwight Wwtp (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.