USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54436 — Granton, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Neillsville 3ESE, WI (1,080 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Granton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 10 in half of years and has passed by May 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 144 days (NOAA, Neillsville 3ESE, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 10
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 144 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 15
- Last snow
- April 11
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 43.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Granton
Half of springs at Neillsville 3ESE, WI see their last 32°F night by May 10; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 25. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 25 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 1 in half of years, as early as September 18 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 144 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 177 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 20, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 6 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 24 | May 27 | May 31 | Jun 4 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 25 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 16°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 5 | Oct 11 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 20 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 16°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Neillsville 3ESE, 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 54436 →Compare Granton with another place →
Weather by month in Granton
July is the warmest month at Neillsville 3ESE, WI, averaging 80°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°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 80% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,213 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (731) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 589. Precipitation totals 35.6 inches a year, most in June (5.3") and least in January (1.1"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 5 | 1.1 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 | 1.1 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 20 | 1.7 | 100% | 27 | 9 |
| Apr | 55 | 32 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 45 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 4.5 | 80% | 4 | 217 |
| Jun | 77 | 54 | 5.3 | 3% | <1 | 459 |
| Jul | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Aug | 78 | 56 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 524 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 4.0 | 49% | 2 | 288 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 3.1 | 100% | 13 | 74 |
| Nov | 42 | 24 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 7 |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Neillsville 3ESE, WI (1,080 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, Marshfield Municipal Airport, WI, 14 miles northeast of Granton and 175 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (May 5), a first frost 4 days later (October 5), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Granton, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Granton usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Neillsville 3ESE, WI, 4.6 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54436
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 1 – March 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 12 – April 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 10 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 54436 is 5 miles from Neillsville 3ESE, WI, which stands at 1,080 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 54456 (Neillsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54436 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.