USDA Hardiness Zone 4a
Frost Dates for 54548 — Minocqua, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Minocqua, WI (1,601 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Minocqua, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 23 in half of years and has passed by June 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 27, as early as September 9 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 127 days (NOAA, Minocqua, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 23
- First fall frost
- September 27
- Growing season
- 127 days
- Hardiness zone
- 4a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- October 25
- Last snow
- April 23
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 98.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Minocqua
Half of springs at Minocqua, WI see their last 32°F night by May 23; only one in ten is past it by May 7, and one in ten still has one after June 6. Planting tender crops after May 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after June 1 20%, and after June 6 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 September 27 in half of years, as early as September 9 one year in ten, and holds off past October 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 25, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 127 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 147 days one year in ten and falls short of 105 one year in ten. On average 199 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 9 days longer, to about June 1, and return around September 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 11 and April 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 20 | May 24 | May 28 | May 31 | Jun 1 | Jun 4 | Jun 7 | Jun 11 | Jun 17 |
| 32°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 28°F | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 12 | May 16 | May 20 | May 25 |
| 24°F | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 |
| 20°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 |
| 16°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 29 | Sep 3 | Sep 7 | Sep 12 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 |
| 32°F | Sep 9 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 |
| 28°F | Sep 21 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 24 |
| 24°F | Oct 4 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 16°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Minocqua, 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 54548 →Compare Minocqua with another place →
Weather by month in Minocqua
July is the warmest month at Minocqua, WI, averaging 77°F by day and 54°F at night; January is the coldest at 20°F and 1°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 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,670 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (529) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 482. Precipitation totals 34.1 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in February (1.1"); May to September bring 57% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 1 | 1.3 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 25 | 3 | 1.1 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 37 | 13 | 1.7 | 100% | 29 | 3 |
| Apr | 49 | 26 | 2.9 | 100% | 24 | 16 |
| May | 64 | 39 | 3.8 | 95% | 9 | 146 |
| Jun | 73 | 51 | 4.4 | 22% | 1 | 364 |
| Jul | 77 | 54 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 482 |
| Aug | 75 | 52 | 3.7 | 1% | <1 | 409 |
| Sep | 67 | 45 | 3.6 | 60% | 3 | 210 |
| Oct | 52 | 34 | 3.7 | 100% | 17 | 39 |
| Nov | 37 | 22 | 2.1 | 100% | 27 | 2 |
| Dec | 25 | 9 | 1.7 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Minocqua, WI (1,601 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, St Germain, WI, 15 miles east of Minocqua, has a last frost 4 days earlier (May 19), a first frost 6 days later (October 3), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Minocqua, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Minocqua usually arrives around October 25, and the last of the season around April 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Minocqua, WI, 3.2 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 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54548
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 14 – March 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 28 – April 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 25 – May 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 23 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 54548 is 3 miles from Minocqua, WI, which stands at 1,601 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54548 in zone 4a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -30 to -25°F (-34.4 to -31.7°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.