When to plant in Lewistown, IL
Planting dates worked out from Lewistown's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 10
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 21
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 9
1 year in 10 by Sep 25
Frost-free days
170
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Havana · 12.6 km away · station 141 m, town 180 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 15 – Mar 29 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 4 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 1 – Mar 15 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 9 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 17 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 7 | May 3 |
| Peas | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 18 |
| Bush beans | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jun 22 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 31 |
| Beet | — | Apr 1 – May 13 | May 21 |
| Potato | — | Apr 1 – Apr 22 | Jun 10 |
| Kale | Feb 17 – Mar 3 | Mar 31 – Apr 14 | May 13 |
| Broccoli | Feb 10 – Feb 24 | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | May 23 |
| Cucumber | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 29 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jun 24 |
| Winter squash | Apr 12 – Apr 19 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 29 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jul 2 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 22 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 25 – Oct 23 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 24 – Apr 21 | May 1 |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 6 |
Lewistown'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 |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Apr 15 |
| 1969 | Mar 31 |
| 1970 | Apr 7 |
| 1971 | Apr 30 |
| 1972 | Apr 25 |
| 1973 | Apr 13 |
| 1974 | Apr 9 |
| 1975 | Apr 12 |
| 1976 | May 3 |
| 1979 | Apr 10 |
| 1980 | Apr 25 |
| 1981 | Apr 7 |
| 1982 | Apr 21 |
| 1983 | Apr 21 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | Apr 23 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | Apr 20 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 6 |
| 1996 | Apr 27 |
| 1997 | May 16 |
| 1998 | Apr 18 |
| 1999 | Apr 19 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 192 |
| 1969 | 197 |
| 1970 | 192 |
| 1971 | 164 |
| 1972 | 172 |
| 1973 | 205 |
| 1974 | 166 |
| 1975 | 196 |
| 1976 | 165 |
| 1979 | 179 |
| 1980 | 162 |
| 1981 | 178 |
| 1982 | 182 |
| 1985 | 174 |
| 1986 | 174 |
| 1987 | 175 |
| 1988 | 168 |
| 1989 | 139 |
| 1990 | 174 |
| 1991 | 198 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 170 |
| 1994 | 199 |
| 1995 | 169 |
| 1996 | 166 |
| 1997 | 151 |
| 1998 | 178 |
| 1999 | 155 |
| 2000 | 165 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 144 |
| 2003 | 158 |
| 2004 | 173 |
| 2005 | 174 |
| 2006 | 185 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1968 | 20.2 °C |
| 1969 | 20.6 °C |
| 1970 | 21.2 °C |
| 1971 | 20.5 °C |
| 1972 | 20.5 °C |
| 1973 | 20.1 °C |
| 1974 | 19.7 °C |
| 1975 | 20.2 °C |
| 1976 | 20.1 °C |
| 1979 | 19.3 °C |
| 1980 | 20.1 °C |
| 1981 | 19.3 °C |
| 1982 | 18.7 °C |
| 1984 | 18.9 °C |
| 1985 | 19.6 °C |
| 1986 | 20.4 °C |
| 1987 | 20.8 °C |
| 1988 | 20.7 °C |
| 1989 | 18.7 °C |
| 1990 | 19.0 °C |
| 1991 | 21.0 °C |
| 1992 | 18.2 °C |
| 1993 | 19.0 °C |
| 1994 | 19.3 °C |
| 1995 | 19.5 °C |
| 1996 | 18.8 °C |
| 1997 | 18.2 °C |
| 1998 | 20.4 °C |
| 1999 | 18.8 °C |
| 2000 | 19.1 °C |
| 2001 | 20.1 °C |
| 2002 | 19.6 °C |
| 2003 | 18.4 °C |
| 2004 | 19.0 °C |
| 2005 | 21.2 °C |
| 2006 | 20.5 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1968, Lewistown's last spring frost has come about 3 days later per decade, on average. The frost-free season has shrunk 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 Havana (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.