USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54004 — Clayton, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Amery, WI (1,070 ft), 11 miles west.
Updated
In Clayton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 151 days (NOAA, Amery, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 151 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 10
- Last snow
- April 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clayton
Half of springs at Amery, WI see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 21 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 4 in half of years, as early as September 21 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 151 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 171 days one year in ten and falls short of 130 one year in ten. On average 167 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 16, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 15 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 21 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 31 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Amery, 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 54004 →Compare Clayton with another place →
Weather by month in Clayton
July is the warmest month at Amery, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 4°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,359 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 59% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (763) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 632. Precipitation totals 34.6 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 4 | 1.1 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 7 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 20 | 1.7 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.9 | 64% | 2 | 232 |
| Jun | 76 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 478 |
| Jul | 81 | 60 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 632 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Sep | 71 | 50 | 3.7 | 36% | 1 | 322 |
| Oct | 56 | 36 | 3.1 | 99% | 10 | 70 |
| Nov | 40 | 24 | 1.9 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Dec | 27 | 12 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Amery, WI (1,070 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, Ridgeland 1NNE, WI, 14 miles southeast of Clayton, has a last frost 5 days later (May 10), a first frost 5 days earlier (September 29), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Clayton, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Clayton usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Amery, WI, 11.4 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 27 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54004
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 54004 is 11 miles from Amery, WI, which stands at 1,070 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 54001 (Amery). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54004 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.