When to plant in Grayslake, IL
Planting dates worked out from Grayslake's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 5
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 26
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Oct 3
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Lake Villa 2ne · 9.7 km away · station 256 m, town 239 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 10 – Mar 24 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 29 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 24 – Mar 10 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 4 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 17 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 13 |
| Beet | — | Apr 14 – May 26 | Jun 3 |
| Potato | — | Apr 14 – May 5 | Jun 23 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 24 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jun 19 |
| Winter squash | Apr 7 – Apr 14 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 24 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 28 – May 19 | Jun 27 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 5 – May 19 | Jul 1 |
Grayslake'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 |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Apr 24 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Apr 22 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | May 6 |
| 1995 | Apr 14 |
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | Apr 22 |
| 1998 | Apr 27 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | Apr 24 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 170 |
| 1989 | 148 |
| 1990 | 182 |
| 1991 | 167 |
| 1992 | 170 |
| 1993 | 164 |
| 1994 | 173 |
| 1995 | 161 |
| 1996 | 166 |
| 1997 | 175 |
| 1998 | 177 |
| 1999 | 180 |
| 2000 | 177 |
| 2001 | 170 |
| 2002 | 151 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 154 |
| 2005 | 186 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 18.7 °C |
| 1989 | 16.5 °C |
| 1990 | 16.9 °C |
| 1991 | 18.6 °C |
| 1992 | 15.3 °C |
| 1993 | 16.5 °C |
| 1994 | 17.3 °C |
| 1995 | 17.6 °C |
| 1996 | 16.3 °C |
| 1997 | 16.1 °C |
| 1998 | 18.6 °C |
| 1999 | 18.3 °C |
| 2000 | 17.3 °C |
| 2001 | 17.9 °C |
| 2002 | 18.0 °C |
| 2003 | 16.7 °C |
| 2004 | 17.1 °C |
| 2005 | 18.8 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Lake Villa 2ne (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.