When to plant in Paxton, IL
Planting dates worked out from Paxton's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 9
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 13
1 year in 10 by Oct 1
Frost-free days
168
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Paxton · 0.5 km away · station 243 m, town 241 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 14 – Mar 28 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 3 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 28 – Mar 14 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 8 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 20 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | May 6 |
| Peas | — | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | May 21 |
| Bush beans | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jun 21 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 5 – May 17 | Jun 4 |
| Beet | — | Apr 5 – May 17 | May 25 |
| Potato | — | Apr 5 – Apr 26 | Jun 14 |
| Kale | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 16 |
| Broccoli | Feb 13 – Feb 27 | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | May 26 |
| Cucumber | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jun 28 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jun 23 |
| Winter squash | Apr 11 – Apr 18 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 28 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 2 – May 23 | Jul 1 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | Jun 25 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 29 – Oct 27 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | May 4 |
| Basil | Mar 28 – Apr 11 | May 9 – May 23 | Jul 5 |
Paxton'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 20 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1991 | Apr 2 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1994 | Apr 7 |
| 1995 | Apr 11 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 13 |
| 2000 | Apr 26 |
| 2001 | May 13 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | Apr 14 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | Apr 29 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 6 |
| 2012 | Apr 24 |
| 2013 | Apr 22 |
| 2014 | Apr 24 |
| 2015 | May 1 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Apr 1 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 15 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 174 |
| 1989 | 148 |
| 1991 | 196 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1994 | 217 |
| 1998 | 179 |
| 1999 | 161 |
| 2000 | 163 |
| 2001 | 145 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 168 |
| 2005 | 164 |
| 2006 | 169 |
| 2007 | 194 |
| 2008 | 174 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2012 | 152 |
| 2014 | 177 |
| 2015 | 168 |
| 2016 | 191 |
| 2017 | 210 |
| 2018 | 164 |
| 2019 | 179 |
| 2020 | 148 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1988 | 20.4 °C |
| 1989 | 18.2 °C |
| 1991 | 20.7 °C |
| 1994 | 18.6 °C |
| 1998 | 19.3 °C |
| 1999 | 18.9 °C |
| 2000 | 18.4 °C |
| 2001 | 19.1 °C |
| 2002 | 18.7 °C |
| 2003 | 17.8 °C |
| 2004 | 17.8 °C |
| 2005 | 19.4 °C |
| 2006 | 18.4 °C |
| 2007 | 19.2 °C |
| 2008 | 17.8 °C |
| 2010 | 19.8 °C |
| 2011 | 18.3 °C |
| 2012 | 19.2 °C |
| 2013 | 18.0 °C |
| 2014 | 17.6 °C |
| 2015 | 19.1 °C |
| 2016 | 19.3 °C |
| 2017 | 18.7 °C |
| 2018 | 19.5 °C |
| 2019 | 19.0 °C |
| 2020 | 18.0 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Paxton (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.