Your nature year
Cedar Rapids, Iowathrough the year
Also for Marion, IA: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Cedar Rapids?
Port Louisa Refuge, 59 miles from Cedar Rapids, is the nearest spring migration spot on this site, April to May (local timing). For winter wildlife, the nearest is Emiquon Refuge (140 mi, migration typically peaks in November (usually)).
Cedar Rapids usually sees its last spring frost around Apr 27 and its first fall frost around Oct 11, a frost-free stretch of about 167 days at NOAA's Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport station, 6.1 miles away. About 4 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. The USA-NPN spring index puts first leaf here around Apr 7 and first bloom around May 5. Within 150 miles we follow 5 places, out to Upper Mississippi River Refuge 144 miles to the north.
Updated Sep 27. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Near Cedar Rapids right now
- First fall frost usually around Oct 11 · last spring frost around Apr 27NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport (6.1 mi, 50% dates)~11 days
- Winter wildlife · Emiquon Refuge · 140 miUsually: migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
Your guide around Cedar Rapids
Nearby, season by season
Spring migration
- Port Louisa Refuge · 59 miLocal timing: April to May~6 months
- Trempealeau Refuge · 144 miLocal timing: late April or early May~7 months
- Upper Mississippi River Refuge · 144 miLocal timing: April and May~6 months
Wildlife by season
- Upper Mississippi River Refuge · 144 miLocal timing: from April to August~6 months
Winter wildlife
- Emiquon Refuge · 140 miUsually: migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
- Chautauqua Refuge · 141 miUsually: Migration typically peaks in November~5 weeks
Cedar Rapids's nature year
- Wildlife by season · Upper Mississippi River RefugeApr–Aug
- Spring migration · Port Louisa RefugeApr–May
- Apr: Spring green-upApr
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: First fall frostOct
- Nov: Winter wildlife · Emiquon RefugeNov
Cedar Rapids's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 27 to ~Oct 11
- First leaf ~Apr 7
- First bloom ~May 5
- Today
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 27
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 11
About 167 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 7
First bloom around May 5
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport (6.1 mi from Cedar Rapids), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Snow in Cedar Rapids
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 22 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Cedar Rapids #1 (7.5 mi away): 34 inches of snow in an average year, about 10.5 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Cedar Rapids?
On average around Oct 11, and the last spring frost around Apr 27: about 167 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Cedar Rapids Municipal Airport, 6.1 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Cedar Rapids?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 7 and first bloom around May 5, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see spring migration near Cedar Rapids?
Port Louisa Refuge, 59 miles (local timing: April to May); Trempealeau Refuge, 144 miles (local timing: late April or early May); Upper Mississippi River Refuge, 144 miles (local timing: April and May). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildlife by season near Cedar Rapids?
Upper Mississippi River Refuge, 144 miles (local timing: from April to August). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Cedar Rapids?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 22: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Cedar Rapids #1. An average year brings 34 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27)