When to plant in Pecatonica, IL
Planting dates worked out from Pecatonica'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 27
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 11
1 year in 10 by Sep 29
Frost-free days
168
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Freeport Wwtp · 20.2 km away · station 229 m, town 235 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 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | May 3 – May 24 | Jun 22 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 13 – May 25 | Jun 12 |
| Beet | — | Apr 13 – May 25 | Jun 2 |
| Potato | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 22 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| 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) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 27 – Oct 25 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Mar 29 – Apr 12 | May 10 – May 24 | Jul 6 |
Pecatonica'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 |
|---|---|
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1975 | Apr 22 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | May 9 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1979 | May 1 |
| 1980 | May 9 |
| 1981 | May 12 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 9 |
| 1984 | Apr 22 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 3 |
| 1987 | Apr 10 |
| 1988 | Apr 24 |
| 1989 | May 8 |
| 1990 | Apr 19 |
| 1991 | Apr 22 |
| 1992 | May 7 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 25 |
| 1996 | Apr 28 |
| 1997 | May 17 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Apr 19 |
| 2000 | Apr 12 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 20 |
| 2003 | Apr 13 |
| 2004 | May 2 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 25 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 14 |
| 2009 | Apr 22 |
| 2010 | May 9 |
| 2011 | May 4 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | Apr 23 |
| 2015 | Apr 27 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | May 3 |
| 2018 | Apr 30 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | May 8 |
| 2022 | Apr 28 |
| 2023 | Apr 27 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 16 |
| 2026 | May 7 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 137 |
| 1975 | 162 |
| 1976 | 137 |
| 1977 | 156 |
| 1978 | 154 |
| 1979 | 156 |
| 1980 | 147 |
| 1981 | 142 |
| 1982 | 175 |
| 1983 | 157 |
| 1984 | 156 |
| 1985 | 178 |
| 1986 | 159 |
| 1987 | 175 |
| 1988 | 163 |
| 1989 | 138 |
| 1990 | 174 |
| 1991 | 150 |
| 1992 | 162 |
| 1993 | 160 |
| 1994 | 184 |
| 1995 | 150 |
| 1996 | 157 |
| 1997 | 150 |
| 1998 | 186 |
| 1999 | 167 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 169 |
| 2004 | 154 |
| 2005 | 170 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 194 |
| 2008 | 171 |
| 2009 | 170 |
| 2010 | 147 |
| 2011 | 169 |
| 2012 | 149 |
| 2013 | 175 |
| 2014 | 170 |
| 2015 | 172 |
| 2016 | 180 |
| 2017 | 178 |
| 2018 | 165 |
| 2019 | 165 |
| 2020 | 148 |
| 2021 | 167 |
| 2022 | 162 |
| 2023 | 165 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 190 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1974 | 16.7 °C |
| 1975 | 17.2 °C |
| 1976 | 17.2 °C |
| 1977 | 18.6 °C |
| 1978 | 17.8 °C |
| 1979 | 17.1 °C |
| 1980 | 18.1 °C |
| 1981 | 17.3 °C |
| 1982 | 16.9 °C |
| 1983 | 17.7 °C |
| 1984 | 17.2 °C |
| 1985 | 17.7 °C |
| 1986 | 17.7 °C |
| 1987 | 18.6 °C |
| 1988 | 18.9 °C |
| 1989 | 16.7 °C |
| 1990 | 17.2 °C |
| 1991 | 18.4 °C |
| 1992 | 15.5 °C |
| 1993 | 16.5 °C |
| 1994 | 17.1 °C |
| 1995 | 17.4 °C |
| 1996 | 16.1 °C |
| 1997 | 16.0 °C |
| 1998 | 18.3 °C |
| 1999 | 17.7 °C |
| 2000 | 17.3 °C |
| 2001 | 18.1 °C |
| 2002 | 18.2 °C |
| 2003 | 17.2 °C |
| 2004 | 17.6 °C |
| 2005 | 19.0 °C |
| 2006 | 17.9 °C |
| 2007 | 18.4 °C |
| 2008 | 17.4 °C |
| 2009 | 16.7 °C |
| 2010 | 19.1 °C |
| 2011 | 17.8 °C |
| 2012 | 18.9 °C |
| 2013 | 17.8 °C |
| 2014 | 17.2 °C |
| 2015 | 17.7 °C |
| 2016 | 18.5 °C |
| 2017 | 17.6 °C |
| 2018 | 17.7 °C |
| 2019 | 17.5 °C |
| 2020 | 17.4 °C |
| 2021 | 18.3 °C |
| 2022 | 17.2 °C |
| 2023 | 17.9 °C |
| 2024 | 18.4 °C |
| 2025 | 18.2 °C |
| 2026 | 18.8 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1974, Pecatonica's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. The frost-free season has grown by about 4 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Freeport Wwtp (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.