USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 53589 — Stoughton, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stoughton, WI (840 ft), 1 miles southeast.
Updated
In Stoughton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Stoughton, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 163 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
- December 2
- Last snow
- March 20
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 35.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Stoughton
Half of springs at Stoughton, 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 15. Planting tender crops after May 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 9 20%, and after May 15 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 11 in half of years, as early as September 28 one year in ten, and holds off past October 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 163 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 183 days one year in ten and falls short of 143 one year in ten. On average 153 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 10, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 28°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 32°F | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 |
| 28°F | Oct 5 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 20 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stoughton, 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 53589 →Compare Stoughton with another place →
Weather by month in Stoughton
July is the warmest month at Stoughton, WI, averaging 83°F by day and 61°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,667 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (882) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 679. Precipitation totals 37.8 inches a year, most in June (5.2") and least in January (1.6"); May to September bring 56% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 10 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 13 | 1.7 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 44 | 23 | 2.2 | 100% | 25 | 12 |
| Apr | 57 | 34 | 3.9 | 100% | 12 | 62 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 4.3 | 46% | 1 | 267 |
| Jun | 79 | 57 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Jul | 83 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 679 |
| Aug | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Sep | 74 | 50 | 3.5 | 17% | <1 | 370 |
| Oct | 61 | 39 | 3.0 | 97% | 8 | 109 |
| Nov | 46 | 27 | 2.5 | 100% | 21 | 11 |
| Dec | 33 | 16 | 1.8 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stoughton, 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, Uw Arboretum - Madison, WI, 13 miles northwest of Stoughton, has a last frost 1 day later (May 1), a first frost 2 days earlier (October 9), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Stoughton, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Stoughton usually arrives around December 2, and the last of the season around March 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stoughton, WI, 1.2 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53589
| 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 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 27 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 11 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 53589 is 1 mile from Stoughton, WI, which stands at 840 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 53589 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.