USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54703 — Eau Claire, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI (885 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Eau Claire, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 4, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 149 days (NOAA, Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 4
- Growing season
- 149 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 5
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 55.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Eau Claire
Half of springs at Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 24, and one in ten still has one after May 21. Planting tender crops after May 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 17 20%, and after May 21 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 4 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 149 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 166 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 163 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 May 17, and return around September 25. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 14 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 10 | May 13 | May 15 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 24 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 17 | May 21 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 8 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 24°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Eau Claire Regional 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 54703 →Compare Eau Claire with another place →
Weather by month in Eau Claire
July is the warmest month at Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI, averaging 83°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 6°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,513 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 59% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (836) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 660. Precipitation totals 33.1 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 61% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23 | 6 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 28 | 9 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 21 | 2.0 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Apr | 57 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 57 |
| May | 70 | 45 | 3.9 | 76% | 2 | 255 |
| Jun | 79 | 56 | 4.8 | 1% | 0 | 513 |
| Jul | 83 | 60 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 660 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 590 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.7 | 35% | 1 | 337 |
| Oct | 58 | 37 | 2.5 | 99% | 10 | 82 |
| Nov | 42 | 25 | 1.8 | 100% | 23 | 7 |
| Dec | 29 | 13 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI (885 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 3SW, WI, 3 miles south of Eau Claire, has a last frost 14 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 10 days later (October 14), a season 21 days longer.
When it snows in Eau Claire, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Eau Claire usually arrives around November 5, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI, 2.7 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54703
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 27 – March 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 10 – April 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 4 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 54703 is 3 miles from Eau Claire Regional Airport, WI, which stands at 885 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 54703 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.