USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54701 — Eau Claire, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eau Claire 3SW, WI (880 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Eau Claire, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 24 in half of years and has passed by May 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 170 days (NOAA, Eau Claire 3SW, WI).
- Last spring frost
- April 24
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 170 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 10
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 54"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eau Claire
Half of springs at Eau Claire 3SW, WI see their last 32°F night by April 24; only one in ten is past it by April 9, and one in ten still has one after May 7. Planting tender crops after April 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 7 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 14 in half of years, as early as September 26 one year in ten, and holds off past October 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 30, 7 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 170 days in a typical year, longer than at 84% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 192 days one year in ten and falls short of 149 one year in ten. On average 149 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 5, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 21.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 17 |
| 32°F | Apr 9 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 7 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 24°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eau Claire 3SW, 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 54701 →Compare Eau Claire with another place →
Weather by month in Eau Claire
July is the warmest month at Eau Claire 3SW, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 62°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 26% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,719 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 34% of them (926) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 688. Precipitation totals 32.7 inches a year, most in June (4.5") and least in January (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 | 25 | 8 | 1.1 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 12 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 42 | 24 | 1.9 | 100% | 23 | 17 |
| Apr | 56 | 36 | 3.3 | 99% | 13 | 73 |
| May | 69 | 49 | 4.1 | 26% | 1 | 296 |
| Jun | 78 | 58 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jul | 82 | 62 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Aug | 80 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 634 |
| Sep | 72 | 52 | 3.5 | 17% | <1 | 361 |
| Oct | 58 | 40 | 2.5 | 94% | 7 | 100 |
| Nov | 42 | 27 | 1.8 | 100% | 20 | 11 |
| Dec | 30 | 15 | 1.4 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eau Claire 3SW, WI (880 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, Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI, 6 miles north of Eau Claire, has a last frost 14 days later (May 8), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 4), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eau Claire usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Eau Claire 3SW, WI, 1.8 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 12 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54701
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 13 – February 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 27 – April 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 54701 is 2 miles from Eau Claire 3SW, WI, which stands at 880 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 54701 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.