USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53191 — Williams Bay, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI (846 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Williams Bay, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 25 in half of years and has passed by May 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 21, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 179 days (NOAA, Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 25
- First fall frost
- October 21
- 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 9
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 40.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Williams Bay
Half of springs at Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI see their last 32°F night by April 25; only one in ten is past it by April 10, and one in ten still has one after May 10. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 4 20%, and after May 10 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 30% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 21 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 12 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 198 days one year in ten and falls short of 156 one year in ten. On average 136 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 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 29 and March 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 11 | May 16 | May 21 |
| 32°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 16°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 28°F | Oct 16 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 20°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 16°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lake Geneva Wwtp, 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 53191 →Compare Williams Bay with another place →
Weather by month in Williams Bay
July is the warmest month at Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI, averaging 86°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 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,091 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 99% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (1,009) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 753. Precipitation totals 37.0 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in January (1.9"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 15 | 1.9 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
| Feb | 35 | 17 | 1.9 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Mar | 45 | 26 | 2.3 | 100% | 23 | 13 |
| Apr | 59 | 37 | 3.5 | 99% | 9 | 86 |
| May | 72 | 48 | 4.1 | 29% | 1 | 321 |
| Jun | 81 | 58 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Aug | 83 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 693 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.7 | 5% | <1 | 454 |
| Oct | 63 | 42 | 3.0 | 83% | 4 | 158 |
| Nov | 47 | 31 | 2.5 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
| Dec | 35 | 21 | 2.3 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI (846 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, Delavan Wwtp, WI, 8 miles northwest of Williams Bay, has a last frost 3 days later (April 28), a first frost 7 days earlier (October 14), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Williams Bay, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Williams Bay usually arrives around November 9, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI, 6.1 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 13 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53191
| 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 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 21 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 53191 is 6 miles from Lake Geneva Wwtp, WI, which stands at 846 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 53147 (Lake Geneva). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53191 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.