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USDA Hardiness Zone 5a

Frost Dates for 54128 — Gresham, Wisconsin

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI (1,050 ft), 5 miles west.

Updated

In Gresham, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 13 in half of years and has passed by May 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 30, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 141 days (NOAA, Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI).

Last spring frost
May 13

50% probability

First fall frost
September 30

50% probability

Growing season
141 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
5a

-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night

First snow
November 18

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 13

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

30 of 30 observed

Snow per year
47.9"

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Gresham

Half of springs at Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI see their last 32°F night by May 13; only one in ten is past it by April 29, and one in ten still has one after May 26. Planting tender crops after May 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 22 20%, and after May 26 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 30 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 12; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 16, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 141 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 159 days one year in ten and falls short of 121 one year in ten. On average 178 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 12 days longer, to about May 25, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and April 1.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 12May 16May 19May 22May 25May 27May 30Jun 2Jun 6
32°FApr 29May 3May 7May 10May 13May 16May 19May 22May 26
28°FApr 20Apr 24Apr 28Apr 30May 2May 5May 8May 12May 16
24°FApr 8Apr 12Apr 16Apr 18Apr 21Apr 24Apr 27Apr 30May 5
20°FMar 29Apr 1Apr 4Apr 7Apr 9Apr 12Apr 16Apr 19Apr 23
16°FMar 16Mar 22Mar 27Mar 30Apr 1Apr 3Apr 5Apr 9Apr 15
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 3
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 14
28°FSep 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22Oct 27
24°FOct 11Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 25Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20
16°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, 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 54128 →Compare Gresham with another place →

Weather by month in Gresham

July is the warmest month at Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI, averaging 78°F by day and 56°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 5°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 85% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 1,974 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (628) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 536.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI
MonthHigh °FLow °F32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan235100%310
Feb288100%280
Mar3919100%277
Apr5330100%1930
May664385%4184
Jun75523%0407
Jul78560%0536
Aug77550%<1490
Sep694751%1262
Oct5636100%1257
Nov4023100%252
Dec2812100%300

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI (1,050 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, Shawano 2SSW, WI, 11 miles southeast of Gresham and 244 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 9), a first frost 2 days later (October 2), a season 3 days longer.

Frost dates for 54166 (Shawano) →

When it snows in Gresham, Wisconsin

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Gresham usually arrives around November 18, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Shawano 2SSW, WI, 11 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 54128

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Gresham, Wisconsin
WhenWhat to do
March 4 – March 18Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 18 – April 1Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 15 – April 29Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 13 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 8Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 16Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 30 onwardPlant 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 54128 is 5 miles from Stockbridge-Munsee Rsvn, WI, which stands at 1,050 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 54414 (Birnamwood). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54128 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 5a places in Wisconsin