USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54742 — Fall Creek, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Augusta Rs, WI (960 ft), 10 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fall Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 7 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 146 days (NOAA, Augusta Rs, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 7
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 146 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 8
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fall Creek
Half of springs at Augusta Rs, WI see their last 32°F night by May 7; only one in ten is past it by April 23, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 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 1 in half of years, as early as September 17 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 146 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 165 days one year in ten and falls short of 128 one year in ten. On average 168 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 10 days longer, to about May 17, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 9 | May 12 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 16°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 9 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 17 | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 25 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 6 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Augusta Rs, 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 54742 →Compare Fall Creek with another place →
Weather by month in Fall Creek
July is the warmest month at Augusta Rs, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 4°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 73% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,339 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 34% of them (787) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 627. Precipitation totals 34.6 inches a year, most in June (5.1") and least in January (1.0"); May to September bring 63% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 4 | 1.0 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 6 | 1.1 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 19 | 1.7 | 100% | 25 | 10 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.1 | 100% | 15 | 47 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 4.3 | 73% | 3 | 237 |
| Jun | 77 | 56 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 492 |
| Jul | 82 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 627 |
| Aug | 79 | 57 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 553 |
| Sep | 70 | 48 | 3.8 | 46% | 1 | 300 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 2.6 | 100% | 12 | 67 |
| Nov | 41 | 24 | 1.8 | 100% | 24 | 4 |
| Dec | 28 | 11 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Augusta Rs, WI (960 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, 11 miles west of Fall Creek, has a last frost 13 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 13 days later (October 14), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Fall Creek, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Fall Creek usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Augusta Rs, WI, 9.5 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 54742
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 26 – March 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 9 – April 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 1 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 54742 is 10 miles from Augusta Rs, WI, which stands at 960 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 54742 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.