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USDA Hardiness Zone 5b

Frost Dates for 53129 — Greendale, Wisconsin

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI (774 ft), 2 miles west.

Updated

In Greendale, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 162 days (NOAA, Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI).

Last spring frost
May 3

50% probability

First fall frost
October 14

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
December 1

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
March 25

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

16 of 16 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Greendale

Half of springs at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 18, and one in ten still has one after May 19. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 19 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 30 one year in ten, and holds off past October 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 10 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 181 days one year in ten and falls short of 142 one year in ten. On average 159 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 14, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 20.

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

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, 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 53129 →Compare Greendale with another place →

Weather by month in Greendale

July is the warmest month at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI, averaging 83°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 30°F and 12°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 56% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,635 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 31% of them (816) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 671. Precipitation totals 38.6 inches a year, most in June (5.6") and least in January (1.8"); May to September bring 55% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan30121.8100%300
Feb33151.9100%271
Mar44242.1100%2612
Apr56354.1100%1454
May68464.356%2244
Jun78565.60%0505
Jul83613.80%0671
Aug81593.80%0625
Sep74513.812%<1387
Oct62403.097%9123
Nov47292.3100%2213
Dec35182.1100%291

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI (774 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, Milwaukee Mitchell Airport, WI, 5 miles east of Greendale, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 19), a first frost 15 days later (October 29), a season 30 days longer.

Frost dates for 53221 (Milwaukee) →

When it snows in Greendale, Wisconsin

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Greendale usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI, 1.6 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 39 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 53129

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Greendale, Wisconsin
WhenWhat to do
February 22 – March 8Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 8 – March 22Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 5 – April 19Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 3 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 22Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 30Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
October 14 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 53129 is 2 miles from Hales Corners/Whitnall Park/Bo, WI, which stands at 774 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 53132 (Franklin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53129 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 5b places in Wisconsin