USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53181 — Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pell Lake, WI (840 ft), 4 miles west.
Updated
In Twin Lakes, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 164 days (NOAA, Pell Lake, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 164 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 25
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 37.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Twin Lakes
Half of springs at Pell Lake, WI see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 16 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 13 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 4, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 164 days in a typical year, longer than at 71% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 185 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 149 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 12 days longer, to about May 12, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 27 and March 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 20°F | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 18 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pell Lake, 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 53181 →Compare Twin Lakes with another place →
Weather by month in Twin Lakes
July is the warmest month at Pell Lake, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 29°F and 13°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 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,533 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (838) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 637. Precipitation totals 36.5 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (1.5"); May to September bring 57% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 13 | 1.7 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 14 | 1.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 25 | 2.2 | 100% | 23 | 19 |
| Apr | 57 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 12 | 58 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 4.3 | 49% | 2 | 254 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 507 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 575 |
| Sep | 73 | 50 | 3.6 | 14% | <1 | 356 |
| Oct | 61 | 39 | 2.9 | 95% | 9 | 112 |
| Nov | 46 | 29 | 2.3 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Dec | 35 | 20 | 1.6 | 100% | 27 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pell Lake, 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, Antioch, IL, 8 miles east of Twin Lakes, has a last frost 7 days earlier (April 23), a first frost 8 days later (October 21), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Twin Lakes usually arrives around November 25, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Burlington, WI, 9.3 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53181
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 53181 is 4 miles from Pell Lake, 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 53128 (Genoa City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53181 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.