When to plant in Evanston, IL
Planting dates worked out from Evanston's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 16
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 17
1 year in 10 by Oct 4
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Chicago Botanic Garden · 13.5 km away · station 192 m, town 187 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 21 – Apr 4 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 10 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 7 – Mar 21 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 15 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 26 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 12 |
| Peas | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 27 |
| Bush beans | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jun 28 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 13 – May 25 | Jun 12 |
| Beet | — | Apr 13 – May 25 | Jun 2 |
| Potato | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 22 |
| Kale | Feb 26 – Mar 12 | Apr 9 – Apr 23 | May 22 |
| Broccoli | Feb 19 – Mar 5 | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jun 1 |
| Cucumber | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 5 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Jun 30 |
| Winter squash | Apr 18 – Apr 25 | May 16 – May 30 | Aug 4 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 9 – May 30 | Jul 8 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 2 – Apr 23 | Jul 1 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 3 – Oct 31 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 2 – Apr 30 | May 10 |
| Basil | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 16 – May 30 | Jul 12 |
Evanston'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 |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | Apr 20 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 3 |
| 1987 | Apr 9 |
| 1988 | May 14 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Apr 22 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | May 27 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | May 13 |
| 1997 | May 17 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 22 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 4 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | Apr 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 18 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 21 |
| 2012 | Apr 24 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | Apr 1 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 177 |
| 1983 | 169 |
| 1984 | 162 |
| 1985 | 174 |
| 1987 | 181 |
| 1989 | 149 |
| 1991 | 170 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 152 |
| 1995 | 150 |
| 1996 | 150 |
| 1997 | 150 |
| 1998 | 200 |
| 1999 | 177 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 149 |
| 2004 | 154 |
| 2005 | 201 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 195 |
| 2008 | 180 |
| 2009 | 174 |
| 2010 | 176 |
| 2011 | 191 |
| 2012 | 164 |
| 2013 | 184 |
| 2014 | 185 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 180 |
| 2017 | 218 |
| 2018 | 166 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1982 | 16.1 °C |
| 1983 | 17.3 °C |
| 1984 | 16.8 °C |
| 1985 | 17.6 °C |
| 1987 | 18.6 °C |
| 1988 | 18.4 °C |
| 1989 | 16.5 °C |
| 1990 | 17.2 °C |
| 1991 | 19.0 °C |
| 1992 | 15.4 °C |
| 1993 | 16.8 °C |
| 1994 | 17.7 °C |
| 1995 | 17.9 °C |
| 1996 | 16.2 °C |
| 1997 | 16.2 °C |
| 1998 | 18.7 °C |
| 1999 | 18.0 °C |
| 2000 | 17.5 °C |
| 2001 | 18.0 °C |
| 2002 | 18.1 °C |
| 2003 | 16.8 °C |
| 2004 | 17.3 °C |
| 2005 | 18.9 °C |
| 2006 | 18.1 °C |
| 2007 | 18.1 °C |
| 2008 | 17.8 °C |
| 2009 | 16.7 °C |
| 2010 | 19.5 °C |
| 2011 | 17.9 °C |
| 2012 | 19.3 °C |
| 2013 | 17.6 °C |
| 2014 | 17.0 °C |
| 2015 | 17.9 °C |
| 2016 | 18.7 °C |
| 2017 | 18.1 °C |
| 2018 | 17.9 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1982, Evanston's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 6 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Chicago Botanic Garden (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.