USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 53963 — Waupun, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Town Of Westford, WI (879 ft), 13 miles southwest.
Updated
In Waupun, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 1 in half of years and has passed by May 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 11, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 163 days (NOAA, Town Of Westford, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 1
- First fall frost
- October 11
- Growing season
- 163 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 10
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
15 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waupun
Half of springs at Town Of Westford, WI see their last 32°F night by May 1; only one in ten is past it by April 16, and one in ten still has one after May 16. Planting tender crops after May 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 10 20%, and after May 16 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 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 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, 13 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 182 days one year in ten and falls short of 144 one year in ten. On average 157 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 11, and return around October 1. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 22 and March 22.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 |
| 32°F | Apr 16 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 16 |
| 28°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 24°F | Mar 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 16°F | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 24°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 |
| 16°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Town Of Westford, 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 53963 →Compare Waupun with another place →
Weather by month in Waupun
July is the warmest month at Town Of Westford, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 8°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,497 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (829) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 637. Precipitation totals 37.8 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in January (1.6"); May to September bring 55% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 8 | 1.6 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 1.7 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 2.4 | 100% | 26 | 13 |
| Apr | 55 | 34 | 3.8 | 100% | 13 | 52 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 4.4 | 50% | 1 | 254 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 510 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 584 |
| Sep | 72 | 50 | 3.6 | 17% | <1 | 343 |
| Oct | 59 | 39 | 3.1 | 97% | 8 | 94 |
| Nov | 44 | 27 | 2.3 | 100% | 22 | 9 |
| Dec | 31 | 15 | 2.0 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Town Of Westford, WI (879 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, Markesan, WI, 14 miles west of Waupun, has a last frost 7 days later (May 8), a first frost 9 days earlier (October 2), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Waupun, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Waupun usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Town Of Westford, WI, 13.4 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 15 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53963
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 20 – March 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 3 – April 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 1 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 53963 is 13 miles from Town Of Westford, WI, which stands at 879 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 53963 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.