Elkhart, IA Weather & Growing Conditions
Local forecast, frost dates, hardiness zone and planting guidance for Elkhart, a city in Polk County, Iowa.
Today
82°F
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Partly sunny. High near 82, with temperatures falling to around 79 in the afternoon. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
7-day forecast for Elkhart
| When | Temp | Forecast | Wind | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 82°F | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely | 6 to 10 mph NW | 70% |
| Tonight | 63°F | Showers And Thunderstorms | 6 to 10 mph NNE | 93% |
| Wednesday | 73°F | Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 7 mph NE | 65% |
| Wednesday Night | 57°F | Chance Rain Showers | 5 mph NE | 26% |
| Thursday | 80°F | Sunny | 3 mph ENE | 2% |
| Thursday Night | 61°F | Mostly Clear | 3 mph SE | 1% |
| Friday | 84°F | Sunny | 3 to 8 mph S | 7% |
| Friday Night | 66°F | Mostly Clear | 7 mph SSE | 13% |
| Saturday | 88°F | Sunny | 3 to 9 mph S | 13% |
| Saturday Night | 72°F | Mostly Clear | 10 mph SSW | 14% |
| Sunday | 88°F | Sunny | 10 mph S | 14% |
| Sunday Night | 71°F | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 9 mph SSE | 29% |
| Monday | 88°F | Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 9 to 13 mph S | 29% |
| Monday Night | 72°F | Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms | 12 mph ESE | 23% |
Forecast source: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov) for Elkhart (41.794, -93.523). Updated through the day.
Growing snapshot for Elkhart
Last spring frost
Apr 23
First fall frost
Oct 15
Growing season
173 days
Hardiness zone
5b
More local growing data for Elkhart: nearby ZIP 50073 weather · frost dates · planting calendar · Iowa frost dates
Nearby towns & communities
Alleman
Altoona
Ankeny
Bondurant
Clive
Des Moines
Granger
Grimes
Johnston
Maxwell
Mitchellville
Pleasant Hill
Polk City
Runnells
Saylorville
Sheldahl
Slater
Urbandale
West Des Moines
Windsor Heights
Climate data from the nearest NOAA station, Ankeny, Ia (7.7 mi from Elkhart). Frost dates are 1991–2020 averages, not a forecast. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.