USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 53065 — Oakfield, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI (809 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Oakfield, 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 10, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 160 days (NOAA, Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 10
- Growing season
- 160 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 22
- Last snow
- April 3
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Oakfield
Half of springs at Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 17, 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 10 in half of years, as early as September 27 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 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 160 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 180 days one year in ten and falls short of 140 one year in ten. On average 143 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 September 30. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 23 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 26 |
| 32°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 20°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 16°F | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac Co Airport, 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 53065 →Compare Oakfield with another place →
Weather by month in Oakfield
July is the warmest month at Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 61°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,600 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (851) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 662. Precipitation totals 28.3 inches a year, most in June (4.1") and least in January (0.7"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 11 | 0.7 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 14 | 0.7 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 1.7 | 100% | 24 | 15 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 2.8 | 100% | 10 | 58 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 3.3 | 52% | 1 | 255 |
| Jun | 78 | 57 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 523 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Sep | 73 | 51 | 2.9 | 19% | <1 | 364 |
| Oct | 59 | 40 | 2.5 | 96% | 6 | 110 |
| Nov | 45 | 29 | 1.8 | 100% | 18 | 12 |
| Dec | 32 | 18 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI (809 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, 7 miles northeast of Oakfield, has a last frost 4 days earlier (April 27), a first frost 9 days later (October 19), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Oakfield, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Oakfield 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, 9.2 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 28 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53065
| 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 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 53065 is 7 miles from Fond Du Lac Co Airport, WI, which stands at 809 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 54937 (Fond Du Lac). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53065 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.