USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53013 — Cedar Grove, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Belgium Wwtp, WI (731 ft), 4 miles south.
Updated
In Cedar Grove, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Belgium Wwtp, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 12
- Growing season
- 159 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 24
- Last snow
- April 2
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cedar Grove
Half of springs at Belgium Wwtp, WI see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 22 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 12 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, longer than at 59% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 154 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 14 days longer, to about May 19, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 8 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 13 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 8 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Belgium Wwtp, WI, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 53013 →Compare Cedar Grove with another place →
Weather by month in Cedar Grove
July is the warmest month at Belgium Wwtp, WI, averaging 80°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 11°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,199 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 27% of them (599) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 604.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 11 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 13 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 23 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Apr | 52 | 33 | 100% | 14 | 21 |
| May | 63 | 44 | 63% | 1 | 158 |
| Jun | 74 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 414 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 604 |
| Aug | 78 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 17% | <1 | 331 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 94% | 7 | 90 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Dec | 33 | 18 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Belgium Wwtp, WI (731 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Hingham Wwtp, WI, 6 miles northwest of Cedar Grove, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 3), a first frost 4 days later (October 16), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Cedar Grove, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cedar Grove usually arrives around November 24, and the last of the season around April 2. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Oostburg, WI, 4.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53013
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 12 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 53013 is 4 miles from Belgium Wwtp, WI, which stands at 731 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 53021 (Fredonia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53013 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across Wisconsin →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.