USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53083 — Sheboygan, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sheboygan, WI (648 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Sheboygan, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Sheboygan, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 179 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 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sheboygan
Half of springs at Sheboygan, WI see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 5 20%, and after May 11 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 23 in half of years, as early as October 9 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 179 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 199 days one year in ten and falls short of 159 one year in ten. On average 133 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 10 days longer, to about May 5, and return around October 11. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 30 and March 16.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sheboygan, 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 53083 →Compare Sheboygan with another place →
Weather by month in Sheboygan
July is the warmest month at Sheboygan, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 15°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,543 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 26% of them (667) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 690. Precipitation totals 34.8 inches a year, most in June (4.0") and least in February (1.7"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 2.1 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 17 | 1.7 | 100% | 25 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 26 | 2.1 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Apr | 52 | 36 | 3.6 | 100% | 9 | 32 |
| May | 63 | 46 | 3.7 | 32% | 1 | 176 |
| Jun | 74 | 56 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 454 |
| Jul | 82 | 63 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Aug | 80 | 62 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Sep | 72 | 55 | 2.7 | 1% | 0 | 414 |
| Oct | 59 | 42 | 3.2 | 86% | 3 | 111 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 2.4 | 100% | 16 | 10 |
| Dec | 36 | 22 | 2.1 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sheboygan, WI (648 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, 5 miles southwest of Sheboygan, has a last frost 10 days later (May 5), a first frost 15 days earlier (October 8), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Sheboygan usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Sheboygan, WI, 3.8 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 17 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53083
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 14 – February 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 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 53083 is 4 miles from Sheboygan, WI, which stands at 648 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 53081 (Sheboygan). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53083 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.