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USDA Hardiness Zone 5b

Frost Dates for 53049 — Malone, Wisconsin

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI (750 ft), 10 miles southwest.

Updated

In Malone, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 12, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI).

Last spring frost
May 1

50% probability

First fall frost
October 12

50% probability

Growing season
162 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5b

-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night

First snow
November 22

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 3

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
38"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Malone

Half of springs at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 17 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% 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 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 162 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 149 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 11 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 22.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FApr 29May 3May 6May 8May 12May 15May 19May 23May 28
32°FApr 18Apr 22Apr 26Apr 29May 1May 5May 8May 12May 17
28°FApr 5Apr 11Apr 14Apr 17Apr 20Apr 23Apr 27Apr 30May 5
24°FMar 26Apr 1Apr 3Apr 5Apr 8Apr 11Apr 14Apr 18Apr 21
20°FMar 17Mar 21Mar 25Mar 29Apr 1Apr 2Apr 4Apr 7Apr 12
16°FMar 9Mar 13Mar 16Mar 19Mar 22Mar 25Mar 28Mar 31Apr 4
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
32°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 4
24°FOct 18Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 17
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac 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 53049 →Compare Malone with another place →

Weather by month in Malone

July is the warmest month at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, averaging 80°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 9°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 52% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,384 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (755) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 626. Precipitation totals 31.6 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (1.1"); May to September bring 57% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan2591.2100%300
Feb28121.1100%270
Mar40221.9100%2510
Apr53343.1100%1146
May66463.452%1220
Jun76564.41%0479
Jul80613.60%0626
Aug78593.50%0569
Sep71513.215%<1337
Oct57392.897%688
Nov43271.9100%209
Dec31161.5100%291

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI (750 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, Fond Du Lac 2 SW, WI, 12 miles southwest of Malone, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 7 days later (October 19), a season 12 days longer.

Frost dates for 54935 (Fond Du Lac) →

When it snows in Malone, Wisconsin

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Malone usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 3. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, 10.4 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 28 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 53049

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Malone, Wisconsin
WhenWhat to do
February 20 – March 6Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 6 – March 20Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 3 – April 17Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 1 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 20Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 28Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 12 onwardPlant 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 53049 is 10 miles from Fond Du Lac Wwtp, WI, which stands at 750 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53049 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.

Other zone 5b places in Wisconsin