USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 53934 — Friendship, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Friendship, WI (945 ft), 1 miles northeast.
Updated
In Friendship, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 147 days (NOAA, Friendship, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 147 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 18
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Friendship
Half of springs at Friendship, WI see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 23 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 3 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 147 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 127 one year in ten. On average 169 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 11 days longer, to about May 20, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 30.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 5 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 19 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Friendship, 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 53934 →Compare Friendship with another place →
Weather by month in Friendship
July is the warmest month at Friendship, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 6°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,476 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (827) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 643. Precipitation totals 35.1 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in January (1.3"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 6 | 1.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 9 | 1.3 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 21 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 13 |
| Apr | 56 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 16 | 53 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 4.2 | 74% | 3 | 247 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 513 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 4.4 | 1% | <1 | 581 |
| Sep | 73 | 48 | 3.5 | 40% | 1 | 331 |
| Oct | 59 | 37 | 2.5 | 99% | 12 | 85 |
| Nov | 44 | 25 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Dec | 31 | 14 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Friendship, WI (945 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, Necedah, WI, 12 miles west of Friendship, has a last frost 8 days later (May 17), a first frost 8 days earlier (September 25), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Friendship, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Friendship usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Friendship, 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53934
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 53934 is 1 mile from Friendship, WI, which stands at 945 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 53934 in zone 4b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°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.