When to plant in Fox Lake, IL
Planting dates worked out from Fox Lake's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 14
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 2
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 9
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
166
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Mchenry Stratton Lock/dam · 11.2 km away · station 224 m, town 228 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 19 – Apr 2 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 5 – Mar 19 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 13 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 28 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 18 | May 14 |
| Peas | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 29 |
| Bush beans | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jun 26 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 13 |
| Beet | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 3 |
| Potato | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 23 |
| Kale | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 24 |
| Broccoli | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jun 3 |
| Cucumber | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 3 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Jun 28 |
| Winter squash | Apr 16 – Apr 23 | May 14 – May 28 | Aug 2 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 7 – May 28 | Jul 6 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 4 – Apr 25 | Jul 3 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 4 – May 2 | May 12 |
| Basil | Apr 2 – Apr 16 | May 14 – May 28 | Jul 10 |
Fox Lake'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 |
|---|---|
| 1994 | May 27 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | May 13 |
| 1997 | Apr 28 |
| 1998 | Apr 28 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 22 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 5 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 22 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 29 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | May 13 |
| 2014 | Apr 23 |
| 2015 | May 1 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | May 10 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 30 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | May 10 |
| 2026 | May 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 135 |
| 1995 | 151 |
| 1996 | 142 |
| 1997 | 169 |
| 1998 | 168 |
| 1999 | 171 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2004 | 152 |
| 2005 | 170 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 194 |
| 2008 | 156 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 158 |
| 2011 | 155 |
| 2012 | 144 |
| 2013 | 153 |
| 2014 | 170 |
| 2015 | 168 |
| 2016 | 150 |
| 2017 | 168 |
| 2018 | 166 |
| 2019 | 168 |
| 2020 | 144 |
| 2021 | 144 |
| 2022 | 163 |
| 2023 | 166 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 166 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1994 | 17.0 °C |
| 1995 | 17.3 °C |
| 1996 | 15.8 °C |
| 1997 | 16.0 °C |
| 1998 | 18.2 °C |
| 1999 | 17.9 °C |
| 2001 | 17.6 °C |
| 2002 | 17.5 °C |
| 2004 | 17.0 °C |
| 2005 | 18.1 °C |
| 2006 | 17.3 °C |
| 2007 | 17.5 °C |
| 2008 | 16.7 °C |
| 2009 | 16.0 °C |
| 2010 | 18.4 °C |
| 2011 | 16.9 °C |
| 2012 | 17.9 °C |
| 2013 | 16.5 °C |
| 2014 | 16.4 °C |
| 2015 | 17.3 °C |
| 2016 | 18.1 °C |
| 2017 | 17.7 °C |
| 2018 | 18.2 °C |
| 2019 | 17.8 °C |
| 2020 | 17.8 °C |
| 2021 | 18.8 °C |
| 2022 | 17.5 °C |
| 2023 | 17.8 °C |
| 2024 | 18.6 °C |
| 2025 | 18.0 °C |
| 2026 | 19.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1994, Fox Lake'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 Mchenry Stratton Lock/dam (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.