USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53051 — Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Germantown, WI (850 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Menomonee Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 8, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 154 days (NOAA, Germantown, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 8
- Growing season
- 154 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 17
- Last snow
- April 9
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 54.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Menomonee Falls
Half of springs at Germantown, WI see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 25. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 25 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 8 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 154 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 131 one year in ten. On average 156 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 13 days longer, to about May 19, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 2 | May 7 | May 12 | May 16 | May 19 | May 23 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 |
| 28°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Germantown, 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 53051 →Compare Menomonee Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Menomonee Falls
July is the warmest month at Germantown, WI, averaging 81°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,381 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 31% of them (733) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 625. Precipitation totals 34.3 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (1.4"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 11 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 14 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 11 |
| Apr | 54 | 34 | 3.8 | 100% | 12 | 47 |
| May | 66 | 45 | 4.0 | 64% | 2 | 215 |
| Jun | 76 | 54 | 4.4 | 3% | 0 | 461 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.8 | 1% | 0 | 570 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 3.2 | 22% | 1 | 342 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 2.6 | 98% | 9 | 98 |
| Nov | 45 | 28 | 2.0 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Dec | 33 | 18 | 1.7 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Germantown, WI (850 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, Richfield 3 SSW, WI, 6 miles northwest of Menomonee Falls, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 8 days later (October 16), a season 13 days longer.
When it snows in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Menomonee Falls usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around April 9. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Germantown, WI, 6.1 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53051
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 8 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 53051 is 6 miles from Germantown, WI, which stands at 850 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53051 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.