USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54457 — Nekoosa, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI (1,019 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Nekoosa, 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 1, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 145 days (NOAA, Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 145 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 20
- Last snow
- April 5
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nekoosa
Half of springs at Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 22. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 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 1 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 12; 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 145 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 164 days one year in ten and falls short of 125 one year in ten. On average 163 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 19, and return around September 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 16 and March 29.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 28 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 9 |
| 20°F | Oct 23 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, 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 54457 →Compare Nekoosa with another place →
Weather by month in Nekoosa
July is the warmest month at Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,411 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (792) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 639. Precipitation totals 31.4 inches a year, most in June (4.6") and least in February (0.9"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 8 | 1.0 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 0.9 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 22 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 12 |
| Apr | 56 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 14 | 50 |
| May | 69 | 45 | 3.7 | 79% | 3 | 236 |
| Jun | 78 | 55 | 4.6 | 1% | 0 | 494 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Aug | 80 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 570 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.4 | 46% | 1 | 319 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | 100% | 11 | 84 |
| Nov | 43 | 26 | 1.7 | 100% | 22 | 7 |
| Dec | 30 | 14 | 1.2 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI (1,019 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, Wisconsin Rapids, WI, 10 miles northeast of Nekoosa, has a last frost 1 day later (May 9), a first frost 1 day earlier (September 30), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Nekoosa, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Nekoosa usually arrives around November 20, and the last of the season around April 5. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids, WI, 9.6 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 33 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54457
| 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 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 54457 is 7 miles from Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Field, WI, which stands at 1,019 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 54457 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.