USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54177 — Wausaukee, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stephenson 5WSW, MI (690 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Wausaukee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 22 in half of years and has passed by June 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 27, as early as September 10 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 126 days (NOAA, Stephenson 5WSW, MI).
- Last spring frost
- May 22
- First fall frost
- September 27
- Growing season
- 126 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 23
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Wausaukee
Half of springs at Stephenson 5WSW, MI see their last 32°F night by May 22; only one in ten is past it by May 7, and one in ten still has one after June 4. Planting tender crops after May 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 31 20%, and after June 4 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 27 in half of years, as early as September 10 one year in ten, and holds off past October 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 126 days in a typical year, shorter than at 96% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 146 days one year in ten and falls short of 106 one year in ten. On average 191 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 June 3, and return around September 13. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and April 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 21 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 3 | Jun 6 | Jun 9 | Jun 15 | Jun 25 |
| 32°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 28°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 24°F | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 9 | May 15 |
| 20°F | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 27 | Sep 2 | Sep 6 | Sep 10 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 29 |
| 32°F | Sep 10 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 10 |
| 28°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 23 |
| 24°F | Oct 5 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stephenson 5WSW, MI, 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 54177 →Compare Wausaukee with another place →
Weather by month in Wausaukee
July is the warmest month at Stephenson 5WSW, MI, averaging 81°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 5°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,972 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 31% of them (602) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 546.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 5 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 30 | 6 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 17 | 100% | 29 | 3 |
| Apr | 54 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 25 |
| May | 67 | 40 | 97% | 8 | 166 |
| Jun | 77 | 50 | 16% | 1 | 408 |
| Jul | 81 | 54 | 0% | 0 | 546 |
| Aug | 80 | 53 | 0% | 0 | 497 |
| Sep | 71 | 45 | 64% | 3 | 265 |
| Oct | 58 | 34 | 100% | 16 | 58 |
| Nov | 44 | 24 | 100% | 26 | 4 |
| Dec | 31 | 14 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stephenson 5WSW, MI (690 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, Crivitz High Falls, WI, 15 miles west of Wausaukee and 260 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (May 26), a first frost 5 days earlier (September 22), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Wausaukee, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wausaukee usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wausaukee, WI, 3.9 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 41 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54177
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 13 – March 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 24 – May 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 27 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 54177 is 9 miles from Stephenson 5WSW, MI, which stands at 690 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54177 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.