As the sunrises get earlier and the sunsets get later, Chicago is heading closer and closer to astronomical spring. And as the city leaves behind one of the warmest winters on record -- and already sees tulips sprouting up on Michigan Avenue -- some may be wondering: is it too early to start gardening?
The answer lies in when Chicago sees its latest frost.
"Is this it? Are we totally done with snow?" NBC 5 Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes said. "The short answer is no."
Jeanes noted that the average, final 3-inch snowfall Chicago typically sees is on March 3. And though we've made it past that date, we aren't in the clear entirely, since the average, final 1-inch snowfall typically occurs March 20, Jeanes said.
This week, temperatures in Chicago are on the more seasonal side, but still above-average for this time of year. For example, the average temperature for March 7 is 43 degrees. The predicted high for Thursday, however, is 49 degrees, according to the NBC 5 Storm Team.
Tulips in particular are still resilient to frost and cold temperatures in their early stages, Jeanes said. "But if we continue to stay warm and they grow quickly, a March or April frost could be damaging. Colder temperatures and even a layer of snow would be a good thing to slow down the growing process."
That makes the best time for gardening and planting around Mother's Day, Jeanes said.
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"Wait until at least May until planting," Jeanes said, adding that the area typically sees its last freeze at the end of April. Last year, Chicago's latest freeze came on April 26, Jeanes said.
Here's a breakdown of when the Chicago area sees its latest freeze, from the National Weather Service:
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Chicago: April 21
Kankakee: April 22
Dekalb: April 23
Rockford: April 27
Elgin: April 28
The latest last freeze on record in Chicago is May 25, which happened in 1992.
