USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54494 — Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wisconsin Rapids, WI (1,033 ft), 1 miles northwest.
Updated
In Wisconsin Rapids, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 24 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 142 days (NOAA, Wisconsin Rapids, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 9
- First fall frost
- September 30
- Growing season
- 142 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 Wisconsin Rapids
Half of springs at Wisconsin Rapids, WI see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 24. Planting tender crops after May 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 19 20%, and after May 24 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 September 30 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 142 days in a typical year, shorter than at 81% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 161 days one year in ten and falls short of 123 one year in ten. On average 166 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 21, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 11 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 24 | May 27 | May 30 | Jun 3 |
| 32°F | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 24 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 3 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 13 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 24 |
| 24°F | Oct 5 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids, 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 54494 →Compare Wisconsin Rapids with another place →
Weather by month in Wisconsin Rapids
July is the warmest month at Wisconsin Rapids, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 59°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 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,285 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (746) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 617. Precipitation totals 33.4 inches a year, most in June (4.8") 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 | 5 | 1.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 8 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 19 | 1.8 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 3.3 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
| May | 68 | 44 | 3.9 | 79% | 3 | 219 |
| Jun | 78 | 54 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 470 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Aug | 79 | 56 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 550 |
| Sep | 71 | 47 | 3.4 | 52% | 1 | 294 |
| Oct | 58 | 36 | 2.8 | 100% | 10 | 74 |
| Nov | 42 | 23 | 1.8 | 100% | 24 | 5 |
| Dec | 30 | 12 | 1.5 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wisconsin Rapids, WI (1,033 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 Alexander Field, WI, 3 miles west of Wisconsin Rapids, has a last frost 1 day earlier (May 8), a first frost 1 day later (October 1), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Wisconsin Rapids 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, 1.3 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 34 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54494
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 28 – March 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 11 – April 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| September 30 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 54494 is 1 mile from Wisconsin Rapids, WI, which stands at 1,033 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54494 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.