USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 54603 — La Crosse, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI (652 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In La Crosse, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 23 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 177 days (NOAA, La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 23
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 177 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 11
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 46.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in La Crosse
Half of springs at La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI see their last 32°F night by April 23; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 17 in half of years, as early as October 3 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 27, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 177 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 158 one year in ten. On average 141 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 4, and return around October 6. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 24 and March 18.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 24°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| 16°F | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 24 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 32°F | Oct 3 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 11 |
| 24°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 |
| 16°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at La Crosse Municipal Airport, 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 54603 →Compare La Crosse with another place →
Weather by month in La Crosse
July is the warmest month at La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI, averaging 85°F by day and 65°F at night; January is the coldest at 27°F and 11°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,200 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 35% of them (1,109) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 773. Precipitation totals 35.3 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in February (1.2"); May to September bring 60% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 11 | 1.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 33 | 14 | 1.2 | 100% | 26 | 1 |
| Mar | 46 | 26 | 2.0 | 100% | 24 | 21 |
| Apr | 60 | 38 | 3.8 | 98% | 8 | 103 |
| May | 72 | 50 | 4.3 | 25% | 1 | 353 |
| Jun | 82 | 60 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 631 |
| Jul | 85 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Aug | 83 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Sep | 76 | 54 | 3.6 | 6% | <1 | 448 |
| Oct | 62 | 42 | 2.5 | 88% | 5 | 146 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 | 1.9 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Dec | 33 | 18 | 1.5 | 100% | 28 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI (652 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, La Crescent Dam 7, MN, 3 miles west of La Crosse, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 15), a first frost 11 days later (October 28), a season 17 days longer.
When it snows in La Crosse, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in La Crosse usually arrives around November 11, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI, 2.1 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 11 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54603
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 12 – February 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 26 – April 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 54603 is 2 miles from La Crosse Municipal Airport, WI, which stands at 652 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 54650 (Onalaska). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54603 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.