When to plant in South Barrington, IL
Planting dates worked out from South Barrington's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 17
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 28
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 18
1 year in 10 by Oct 6
Frost-free days
171
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Barrington 3sw · 4.4 km away · station 269 m, town 259 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 22 – Apr 5 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 11 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 16 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 27 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 17 | May 13 |
| Peas | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 28 |
| Bush beans | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jun 29 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 11 |
| Beet | — | Apr 12 – May 24 | Jun 1 |
| Potato | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 21 |
| Kale | Feb 27 – Mar 13 | Apr 10 – Apr 24 | May 23 |
| Broccoli | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jun 2 |
| Cucumber | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 6 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 1 |
| Winter squash | Apr 19 – Apr 26 | May 17 – May 31 | Aug 5 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 10 – May 31 | Jul 9 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 3 – Apr 24 | Jul 2 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 4 – Nov 1 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 3 – May 1 | May 11 |
| Basil | Apr 5 – Apr 19 | May 17 – May 31 | Jul 13 |
South Barrington'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 |
|---|---|
| 1963 | May 23 |
| 1964 | Apr 9 |
| 1965 | Apr 28 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | May 6 |
| 1974 | May 7 |
| 1976 | May 8 |
| 1977 | May 10 |
| 1978 | May 6 |
| 1979 | May 1 |
| 1980 | Apr 26 |
| 1981 | May 12 |
| 1982 | Apr 28 |
| 1983 | May 10 |
| 1984 | Apr 23 |
| 1985 | Apr 10 |
| 1986 | May 3 |
| 1987 | May 3 |
| 1988 | Apr 29 |
| 2000 | Jun 3 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 24 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | Apr 26 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 12 |
| 2010 | Apr 28 |
| 2011 | Apr 21 |
| 2012 | Apr 27 |
| 2013 | Apr 21 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | Apr 13 |
| 2017 | Mar 29 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 29 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | May 12 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 16 |
| 2026 | May 2 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 142 |
| 1964 | 171 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 166 |
| 1974 | 137 |
| 1976 | 136 |
| 1977 | 149 |
| 1978 | 154 |
| 1979 | 161 |
| 1980 | 161 |
| 1981 | 142 |
| 1982 | 170 |
| 1983 | 156 |
| 1984 | 158 |
| 1985 | 211 |
| 1986 | 155 |
| 1987 | 151 |
| 2000 | 125 |
| 2001 | 169 |
| 2002 | 145 |
| 2003 | 160 |
| 2004 | 154 |
| 2005 | 171 |
| 2006 | 168 |
| 2007 | 199 |
| 2008 | 180 |
| 2009 | 180 |
| 2010 | 176 |
| 2011 | 191 |
| 2012 | 161 |
| 2013 | 183 |
| 2014 | 154 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 212 |
| 2017 | 213 |
| 2018 | 166 |
| 2019 | 179 |
| 2020 | 159 |
| 2021 | 172 |
| 2022 | 170 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 173 |
| 2025 | 190 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1963 | 17.7 °C |
| 1964 | 17.8 °C |
| 1965 | 16.8 °C |
| 1968 | 17.8 °C |
| 1969 | 17.2 °C |
| 1971 | 19.1 °C |
| 1974 | 16.1 °C |
| 1976 | 16.2 °C |
| 1977 | 18.0 °C |
| 1978 | 17.5 °C |
| 1979 | 16.9 °C |
| 1980 | 17.4 °C |
| 1981 | 16.9 °C |
| 1982 | 16.6 °C |
| 1983 | 17.7 °C |
| 1984 | 17.0 °C |
| 1985 | 18.0 °C |
| 1986 | 17.7 °C |
| 1987 | 18.6 °C |
| 1988 | 18.9 °C |
| 1989 | 16.4 °C |
| 2000 | 16.9 °C |
| 2001 | 17.6 °C |
| 2002 | 17.5 °C |
| 2003 | 16.6 °C |
| 2004 | 16.8 °C |
| 2005 | 18.5 °C |
| 2006 | 17.7 °C |
| 2007 | 17.8 °C |
| 2008 | 17.1 °C |
| 2009 | 16.4 °C |
| 2010 | 18.7 °C |
| 2011 | 17.1 °C |
| 2012 | 18.2 °C |
| 2013 | 16.8 °C |
| 2014 | 16.9 °C |
| 2015 | 17.6 °C |
| 2016 | 18.2 °C |
| 2017 | 17.5 °C |
| 2018 | 17.5 °C |
| 2019 | 17.4 °C |
| 2020 | 17.5 °C |
| 2021 | 18.3 °C |
| 2022 | 17.4 °C |
| 2023 | 17.5 °C |
| 2024 | 18.3 °C |
| 2025 | 17.8 °C |
| 2026 | 18.3 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1963, South Barrington's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown 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 Barrington 3sw (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.