Farmer’s Almanac Predicts First Frost Dates for 2024 in Iowa

We’re on the cusp of fall, it’s right around the seasonal corner.  The leaves change, and the air gets a bit cooler or crisp.   We bundle up, well some of us do, others choose to wear shorts and flip-flops in the dead of fall.   The dead of fall isn’t usually a thing but here it is!  I’m pretty sure that when fall rolls around flowers, plants, and shrubbery they get a little uneasy, even the ones wearing shorts and flip-flops.   They see the end is near or maybe they don’t! One word brings their world to a close and that word is FROST! 

The frost date is especially important if you’ve been getting your green thumb on this year.  You can keep some of your brood alive a little longer with small steps like covering but inevitably they’ll succumb to colder weather, Jack Frost.  How do you know when Jack will be stopping by?   That information is easier to get than you might think.   

How does The Farmer’s Almanac Figure out when it will frost?  

We must remember that if you look at averages, the Farmer’s Almanac gets it right, but some dates are estimations.  Those estimations are based on data they gather from the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. The Farmer’s Almanac has its thoughts on frost “Frost is predicted when air temperatures reach 32°F (0°C), but also a frost may occur even when air temperatures are just above freezing due to open exposure to the clear night sky, which exposes surfaces to radiative cooling. Always keep an eye on your local weather forecast and plan to protect tender plants accordingly” 

When can you expect your first frost for 2024 in Iowa? 

Cedar Rapids   October 7 

Council Bluffs   October 15 

Davenport         October 17 

Decorah            October 1 

Des Moines      October 14 

Dubuque          October 16 

Fort Dodge`     October 2 

Iowa City         October 13 

Keokuk            October 21 

Mason City      October 1 

Ottumwa          October 7 

Waterloo          October 4 

Get our free mobile app

Find out what your frost date is

If you don’t see your town listed, maybe it doesn’t frost there?  Or you could check the Farmer’s Almanac Frost Figure-outer tool.  The Old Farmer’s Almanac Frost Tool. Sometimes you have to get technical with highfalutin words like figure-outer.  So, you’re welcome for that right here and now.