When to plant in Vandalia, IL
Planting dates worked out from Vandalia's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
Apr 19
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 9
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 20
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
193
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Vandalia · 0.3 km away · station 149 m, town 158 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 | Feb 22 – Mar 8 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 13 |
| Sweet pepper | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 18 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Feb 8 – Feb 15 | Mar 15 – Mar 29 | Apr 24 |
| Peas | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | May 9 |
| Bush beans | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 1 |
| Carrot | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | May 23 |
| Beet | — | Mar 24 – May 5 | May 13 |
| Potato | — | Mar 24 – Apr 14 | Jun 2 |
| Kale | Feb 8 – Feb 22 | Mar 22 – Apr 5 | May 4 |
| Broccoli | Feb 1 – Feb 15 | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | May 14 |
| Cucumber | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 8 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 3 |
| Winter squash | Mar 22 – Mar 29 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jul 8 |
| Sweet corn | — | Apr 12 – May 3 | Jun 11 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Mar 15 – Apr 5 | Jun 13 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 6 – Nov 3 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Mar 15 – Apr 12 | Apr 22 |
| Basil | Mar 8 – Mar 22 | Apr 19 – May 3 | Jun 15 |
Vandalia'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 |
|---|---|
| 1900 | Apr 12 |
| 1901 | May 16 |
| 1902 | Apr 15 |
| 1904 | Apr 21 |
| 1905 | Apr 22 |
| 1974 | Apr 10 |
| 1975 | Apr 13 |
| 1976 | May 4 |
| 1977 | Apr 7 |
| 1983 | May 26 |
| 1984 | Apr 19 |
| 1987 | Apr 4 |
| 1988 | Mar 30 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Mar 31 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 22 |
| 1994 | Apr 8 |
| 1995 | Apr 6 |
| 1996 | Apr 14 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 17 |
| 1999 | Mar 28 |
| 2000 | Apr 13 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | Apr 6 |
| 2004 | Apr 5 |
| 2005 | Mar 20 |
| 2006 | Mar 27 |
| 2007 | Apr 14 |
| 2008 | Apr 15 |
| 2009 | Apr 9 |
| 2010 | Mar 27 |
| 2011 | Mar 31 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 188 |
| 1901 | 124 |
| 1902 | 151 |
| 1904 | 184 |
| 1905 | 172 |
| 1974 | 165 |
| 1975 | 172 |
| 1976 | 162 |
| 1977 | 188 |
| 1983 | 119 |
| 1984 | 164 |
| 1990 | 175 |
| 1991 | 198 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 188 |
| 1994 | 200 |
| 1995 | 169 |
| 1996 | 187 |
| 1997 | 184 |
| 1998 | 188 |
| 1999 | 203 |
| 2000 | 176 |
| 2001 | 180 |
| 2002 | 190 |
| 2004 | 217 |
| 2005 | 221 |
| 2006 | 198 |
| 2007 | 197 |
| 2008 | 195 |
| 2009 | 191 |
| 2010 | 215 |
| 2011 | 211 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1903 | 20.6 °C |
| 1905 | 20.8 °C |
| 1974 | 19.1 °C |
| 1975 | 19.8 °C |
| 1976 | 19.2 °C |
| 1977 | 21.5 °C |
| 1983 | 20.5 °C |
| 1984 | 19.6 °C |
| 1987 | 21.3 °C |
| 1988 | 21.8 °C |
| 1990 | 19.5 °C |
| 1991 | 21.5 °C |
| 1992 | 19.2 °C |
| 1993 | 19.8 °C |
| 1994 | 19.5 °C |
| 1995 | 20.1 °C |
| 1996 | 19.5 °C |
| 1997 | 18.8 °C |
| 1998 | 21.2 °C |
| 1999 | 20.4 °C |
| 2000 | 20.0 °C |
| 2001 | 20.7 °C |
| 2002 | 21.1 °C |
| 2004 | 20.1 °C |
| 2005 | 21.2 °C |
| 2006 | 20.4 °C |
| 2007 | 21.2 °C |
| 2008 | 19.6 °C |
| 2009 | 19.7 °C |
| 2010 | 21.9 °C |
| 2011 | 20.9 °C |
| 2012 | 21.4 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1900, Vandalia's last spring frost has come about 2 days earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Vandalia (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.