USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54482 — Stevens Point, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Stevens Pt, WI (1,079 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Stevens Point, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 7, as early as September 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 155 days (NOAA, Stevens Pt, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 7
- Growing season
- 155 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 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 48.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Stevens Point
Half of springs at Stevens Pt, WI see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 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 7 in half of years, as early as September 24 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 155 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 174 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 one year in ten. On average 164 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 15, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and March 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 25 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 4 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 2 | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Stevens Pt, 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 54482 →Compare Stevens Point with another place →
Weather by month in Stevens Point
July is the warmest month at Stevens Pt, WI, averaging 80°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 24°F and 7°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 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,304 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (747) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 612. Precipitation totals 33.9 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (1.1"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | 7 | 1.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 28 | 9 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 21 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| May | 67 | 45 | 4.1 | 62% | 2 | 225 |
| Jun | 76 | 56 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 472 |
| Jul | 80 | 60 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 612 |
| Aug | 78 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Sep | 70 | 50 | 3.6 | 27% | <1 | 310 |
| Oct | 57 | 37 | 2.7 | 99% | 10 | 76 |
| Nov | 42 | 26 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
| Dec | 29 | 14 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Stevens Pt, WI (1,079 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, 18 miles southwest of Stevens Point, has a last frost 5 days later (May 9), a first frost 7 days earlier (September 30), a season 13 days shorter.
When it snows in Stevens Point, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Stevens Point usually arrives around November 15, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Stevens Pt, 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 22 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54482
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 7 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 54482 is 5 miles from Stevens Pt, WI, which stands at 1,079 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 54481 (Stevens Point). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54482 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.