USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 53533 — Dodgeville, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dodgeville Wwtp, WI (1,118 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Dodgeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 157 days (NOAA, Dodgeville Wwtp, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 157 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 22
- Last snow
- March 25
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 41.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dodgeville
Half of springs at Dodgeville Wwtp, WI see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 19, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 12 20%, and after May 17 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 58% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 7 in half of years, as early as September 25 one year in ten, and holds off past October 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 157 days in a typical year, longer than at 53% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 175 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 160 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 13, and return around September 29. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 17 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 20 | May 24 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 |
| 28°F | Oct 3 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 20°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dodgeville 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 53533 →Compare Dodgeville with another place →
Weather by month in Dodgeville
July is the warmest month at Dodgeville Wwtp, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°F and 9°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 58% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,485 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (816) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 643. Precipitation totals 39.7 inches a year, most in June (5.7") and least in January (1.5"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 9 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 12 | 1.5 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 23 | 2.3 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.9 | 100% | 13 | 57 |
| May | 68 | 46 | 4.6 | 58% | 2 | 245 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 5.7 | 1% | 0 | 504 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 586 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.7 | 24% | 1 | 337 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 3.1 | 99% | 10 | 93 |
| Nov | 44 | 26 | 2.5 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Dec | 31 | 16 | 1.8 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dodgeville Wwtp, WI (1,118 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, Lone Rock Tri Co Airport, WI, 17 miles north of Dodgeville and 401 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 2 days later (October 9), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Dodgeville, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Dodgeville usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around March 25. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Dodgeville Wwtp, WI, 1.7 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 53533
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 53533 is 2 miles from Dodgeville Wwtp, WI, which stands at 1,118 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53533 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.