USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 53965 — Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wisconsin Dells, WI (835 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Wisconsin Dells, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Wisconsin Dells, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 146 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
- April 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 40.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wisconsin Dells
Half of springs at Wisconsin Dells, WI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 22 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 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 13, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 167 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 168 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 18, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 | May 16 | May 18 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 12 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Dells, 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 53965 →Compare Wisconsin Dells with another place →
Weather by month in Wisconsin Dells
July is the warmest month at Wisconsin Dells, WI, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,517 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (842) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 652. Precipitation totals 37.4 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in January (1.3"); May to September bring 57% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 8 | 1.3 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 1.4 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 22 | 2.3 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 4.1 | 100% | 16 | 58 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 4.4 | 74% | 3 | 256 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 5.1 | 1% | 0 | 518 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Aug | 81 | 57 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 584 |
| Sep | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 37% | 1 | 337 |
| Oct | 60 | 37 | 2.8 | 99% | 12 | 92 |
| Nov | 44 | 26 | 2.2 | 100% | 23 | 9 |
| Dec | 32 | 15 | 1.8 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Dells, WI (835 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, Baraboo, WI, 13 miles south of Wisconsin Dells, has a last frost 3 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 2 days later (October 5), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wisconsin Dells usually arrives around November 22, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Dells, WI, 2.6 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 53965
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 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 53965 is 3 miles from Wisconsin Dells, WI, which stands at 835 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 53965 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.