USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53020 — Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Plymouth Wwtp, WI (828 ft), 9 miles south.
Updated
In Elkhart Lake, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 10, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Plymouth Wwtp, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 10
- 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 22
- Last snow
- April 10
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 44.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elkhart Lake
Half of springs at Plymouth Wwtp, WI see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 15 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 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 151 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 15 days longer, to about May 18, and return around September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 20 | May 23 | May 27 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | 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 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Plymouth 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 53020 →Compare Elkhart Lake with another place →
Weather by month in Elkhart Lake
July is the warmest month at Plymouth Wwtp, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°F and 12°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,391 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 54% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 30% of them (725) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 639. Precipitation totals 33.5 inches a year, most in June (4.2") and least in February (1.4"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 12 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 14 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 24 | 2.0 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 53 | 34 | 3.6 | 100% | 12 | 43 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 3.8 | 60% | 1 | 209 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 4.2 | 1% | 0 | 464 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Aug | 79 | 59 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 2.8 | 18% | <1 | 343 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 3.0 | 96% | 7 | 94 |
| Nov | 44 | 29 | 2.1 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
| Dec | 32 | 18 | 1.8 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Plymouth Wwtp, WI (828 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, Sheboygan Co Mem Airport, WI, 10 miles southeast of Elkhart Lake, has a last frost 2 days later (May 5), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 8), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elkhart Lake usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 10. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Plymouth Wwtp, WI, 8.7 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 23 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53020
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 18 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 10 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 53020 is 9 miles from Plymouth Wwtp, WI, which stands at 828 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 53073 (Plymouth). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53020 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.