Frost dates in Des Moines, Iowa

NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.

Short answer

The average last spring frost in Des Moines is April 18, and the average first fall frost is October 20, from NOAA's Des Moines Intl Airport station, 3 miles from the middle of Des Moines. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after May 2, and the first one by October 4. That leaves about 185 frost-free days. Des Moines is in USDA planting zone 5b.

Weather stations around Des Moines

The first row is the date most people in Des Moines go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
Des Moines Intl Airport 3 mi away, 957 ft	April 18 1 in 10 after May 2	October 20 1 in 10 by October 4	185 days
Ankeny 11 mi away, 975 ft	April 23 1 in 10 after May 6	October 15 1 in 10 by September 30	175 days
Des Moines Wsfo-Johnston 13 mi away, 959 ft	April 19 1 in 10 after May 3	October 18 1 in 10 by October 1	182 days
Indianola 2W 14 mi away, 924 ft	April 24 1 in 10 after May 8	October 12 1 in 10 by September 27	171 days
Des Moines 17 E 17 mi away, 921 ft	April 21 1 in 10 after May 5	October 15 1 in 10 by September 30	177 days

Distances are from the middle of Des Moines as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 50309, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Des Moines covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.

How these dates work

Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.

The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.

More frost dates

All of Iowa, station by station.

Nearby: Omaha, NE · Lincoln, NE · Kansas City, MO