Skip to content

USDA Hardiness Zone 4b

Frost Dates for 54819 — Bruce, Wisconsin

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI (1,195 ft), 6 miles west.

Updated

In Bruce, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 9 in half of years and has passed by May 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around September 29, as early as September 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 140 days (NOAA, Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI).

Last spring frost
May 9

50% probability

First fall frost
September 29

50% probability

Growing season
140 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
4b

-25 to -20°F (-31.7 to -28.9°C) coldest night

First snow
November 10

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
April 11

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
100%

24 of 24 observed

Snow per year
—

NOAA normal

Frost risk by date in Bruce

Half of springs at Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI see their last 32°F night by May 9; only one in ten is past it by April 26, and one in ten still has one after May 27. Planting tender crops after May 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 21 20%, and after May 27 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 96% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.

In fall the first 32°F night comes by September 29 in half of years, as early as September 14 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 15, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 140 days in a typical year, shorter than at 85% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 160 days one year in ten and falls short of 119 one year in ten. On average 176 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 13 days longer, to about May 22, and return around September 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 12 and March 31.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMay 7May 12May 16May 19May 22May 25May 29Jun 1Jun 6
32°FApr 26Apr 30May 3May 6May 9May 12May 16May 21May 27
28°FApr 12Apr 18Apr 22Apr 25Apr 28Apr 30May 3May 8May 15
24°FApr 2Apr 6Apr 9Apr 13Apr 16Apr 19Apr 22Apr 26May 1
20°FMar 24Mar 30Apr 1Apr 3Apr 5Apr 8Apr 11Apr 16Apr 21
16°FMar 16Mar 22Mar 25Mar 28Mar 31Apr 2Apr 4Apr 8Apr 13
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 7Sep 12Sep 16Sep 18Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30Oct 3
32°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 14
28°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26
24°FOct 5Oct 13Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
20°FOct 21Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 18
16°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Weyerhaeuser 1N, 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 54819 →Compare Bruce with another place →

Weather by month in Bruce

July is the warmest month at Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 23°F and 5°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 78% of years.

Warmth for growing adds up to 2,205 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 75% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (713) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 593. Precipitation totals 34.2 inches a year, most in June (4.4") and least in January (0.9"); May to September bring 60% of it.

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI
MonthHigh °FLow °FPrecip. in32°F nightNights ≤ 32°FGDD 50°F
Jan2350.9100%310
Feb2881.1100%270
Mar41202.2100%275
Apr56323.0100%1643
May68444.378%4219
Jun77534.44%<1445
Jul81584.00%0593
Aug78564.00%0525
Sep71483.856%2298
Oct57363.299%1371
Nov40242.0100%254
Dec27121.3100%300

Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI (1,195 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, Ladysmith 3W, WI, 8 miles east of Bruce, has a last frost 18 days later (May 27), a first frost 7 days earlier (September 22), a season 23 days shorter.

Frost dates for 54848 (Ladysmith) →

When it snows in Bruce, Wisconsin

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Bruce usually arrives around November 10, and the last of the season around April 11. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Big Falls Hydro, WI, 17.7 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 28 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 54819

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Bruce, Wisconsin
WhenWhat to do
February 28 – March 14Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
March 14 – March 28Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
April 11 – April 25Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
May 9 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by July 7Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by September 15Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
September 29 onwardPlant 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 54819 is 6 miles from Weyerhaeuser 1N, WI, which stands at 1,195 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 54819 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.

ZIP codes measured at the same station

Other zone 4b places in Wisconsin