USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53061 — New Holstein, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chilton, WI (840 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In New Holstein, 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 14, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Chilton, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 162 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 20
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Holstein
Half of springs at Chilton, WI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 7 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 14 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 11 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 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 140 one year in ten. On average 155 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 14, and return around October 2. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 25 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 30 |
| 28°F | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 24°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chilton, 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 53061 →Compare New Holstein with another place →
Weather by month in New Holstein
July is the warmest month at Chilton, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°F and 10°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 2,499 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (788) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 652. Precipitation totals 33.9 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (1.3"); May to September bring 57% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 10 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 12 | 1.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 10 |
| Apr | 54 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 3.8 | 52% | 2 | 233 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 499 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 3.3 | 13% | <1 | 356 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 3.0 | 91% | 7 | 97 |
| Nov | 44 | 28 | 2.1 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Dec | 31 | 17 | 1.7 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chilton, WI (840 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, Brillion, WI, 15 miles north of New Holstein, has a last frost 5 days later (May 6), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 6), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in New Holstein, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in New Holstein usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Chilton, WI, 6.2 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 20 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53061
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 53061 is 6 miles from Chilton, WI, which stands at 840 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 53014 (Chilton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53061 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.