Your nature year
Rockford, Illinoisthrough the year
Also for Beloit, WI, Belvidere, IL: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Rockford?
Rockford usually sees its last spring frost around Apr 24 and its first fall frost around Oct 17, a frost-free stretch of about 176 days at NOAA's Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport station, 4.8 miles away. The town is about 728 feet above sea level.
Leaves usually come out around Apr 8 and the first flowers around May 6. Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Rockford; the nearest lies 111 miles to the southeast. For a day trip, Indiana Dunes is 111 miles off; its fall foliage is usually at its best Oct 11–20. For spring migration, the nearest is Port Louisa Refuge (129 mi, Apr 1–May 31 (local timing)). Across Illinois, fall color is usually well under way by late October.
Updated Sep 29. 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)
Rockford's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 24 to ~Oct 17
- First leaf ~Apr 8
- First bloom ~May 6
- Fall color under way ~Oct 27 (IL)
- Today
Near Rockford right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by late October in IllinoisStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~4 weeks
- First fall frost usually around Oct 17 · last spring frost around Apr 24NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport (4.8 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Fall foliage · Indiana Dunes · 111 miusually Oct 11–20~12 days
Rockford's nature year
- Spring migration · Port Louisa RefugeApr–May
- Apr: Spring green-upApr
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- Oct: Fall color (IL)Oct
- Oct: First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Indiana Dunes · 111 miusually Oct 11–20~12 days
Spring migration
- Port Louisa Refuge · 129 miLocal timing: Apr 1–May 31~6 months
- Necedah Refuge · 136 miLocal timing: with May~7 months
Snow in Rockford
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 23 (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 Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport (4.8 mi away): 37 inches of snow in an average year, about 11.1 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.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
Apr 24
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 17
About 176 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 8
First bloom around May 6
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport (4.8 mi from Rockford), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Rockford?
On average around Oct 17, and the last spring frost around Apr 24: about 176 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport, 4.8 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Rockford?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 8 and first bloom around May 6, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Rockford?
Indiana Dunes, 111 miles (usually Oct 11–20). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see spring migration near Rockford?
Port Louisa Refuge, 129 miles (local timing: Apr 1–May 31); Necedah Refuge, 136 miles (local timing: with May). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Rockford?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 23: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Rockford Gtr Rockford Airport. An average year brings 37 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) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 29)