USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 53528 — Cross Plains, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Charmany Farm, WI (1,046 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Cross Plains, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 28 in half of years and has passed by May 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 15, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 169 days (NOAA, Charmany Farm, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 28
- First fall frost
- October 15
- Growing season
- 169 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 23
- Last snow
- March 30
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 38.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cross Plains
Half of springs at Charmany Farm, WI see their last 32°F night by April 28; only one in ten is past it by April 14, and one in ten still has one after May 11. Planting tender crops after May 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 11 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 15 in half of years, as early as September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 169 days in a typical year, longer than at 83% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 190 days one year in ten and falls short of 149 one year in ten. On average 146 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 9 days longer, to about May 7, and return around October 4. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 21 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 28°F | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Charmany Farm, 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 53528 →Compare Cross Plains with another place →
Weather by month in Cross Plains
July is the warmest month at Charmany Farm, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 10°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,645 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (871) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 673. Precipitation totals 39.3 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in January (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 | 27 | 10 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 13 | 1.6 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 24 | 2.4 | 100% | 24 | 14 |
| Apr | 56 | 35 | 4.1 | 99% | 10 | 61 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.6 | 38% | <1 | 263 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 533 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Aug | 80 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Sep | 73 | 52 | 3.6 | 13% | <1 | 369 |
| Oct | 60 | 39 | 2.9 | 94% | 5 | 108 |
| Nov | 45 | 27 | 2.3 | 100% | 20 | 10 |
| Dec | 32 | 16 | 2.0 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Charmany Farm, WI (1,046 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, Mazomanie Wwtp, WI, 10 miles northwest of Cross Plains and 282 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days later (May 7), a first frost 14 days earlier (October 1), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Cross Plains, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cross Plains usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 30. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Charmany Farm, WI, 9.1 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53528
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 17 – March 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 31 – April 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 15 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 53528 is 9 miles from Charmany Farm, WI, which stands at 1,046 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 53719 (Madison). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53528 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.