USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54822 — Cameron, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rice Lake, WI (1,103 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Cameron, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 8 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 2, as early as September 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 145 days (NOAA, Rice Lake, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 8
- First fall frost
- October 2
- Growing season
- 145 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 13
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cameron
Half of springs at Rice Lake, WI see their last 32°F night by May 8; only one in ten is past it by April 25, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 18 20%, and after May 23 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 30% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 2 in half of years, as early as September 19 one year in ten, and holds off past October 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 11, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 145 days in a typical year, shorter than at 75% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 163 days one year in ten and falls short of 124 one year in ten. On average 173 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 19, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and March 31.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 5 | May 9 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 2 |
| 32°F | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 24°F | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 20°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 8 | Sep 13 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 25 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 20°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rice Lake, 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 54822 →Compare Cameron with another place →
Weather by month in Cameron
July is the warmest month at Rice Lake, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 2°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 2,315 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (763) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 623. Precipitation totals 31.5 inches a year, most in June (4.2") and least in February (0.8"); May to September bring 62% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22 | 2 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 27 | 5 | 0.8 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 40 | 18 | 1.5 | 100% | 27 | 6 |
| Apr | 54 | 32 | 2.8 | 100% | 16 | 42 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 3.9 | 76% | 3 | 234 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 4.2 | 1% | 0 | 481 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 623 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 555 |
| Sep | 71 | 48 | 3.3 | 44% | 1 | 304 |
| Oct | 57 | 35 | 3.0 | 100% | 13 | 66 |
| Nov | 40 | 23 | 1.7 | 100% | 25 | 5 |
| Dec | 27 | 10 | 1.2 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rice Lake, WI (1,103 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, Ridgeland 1NNE, WI, 15 miles southwest of Cameron, has a last frost 2 days later (May 10), a first frost 3 days earlier (September 29), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Cameron, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cameron usually arrives around November 13, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Rice Lake, WI, 2.4 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 26 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54822
| 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 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 2 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 54822 is 2 miles from Rice Lake, WI, which stands at 1,103 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 54868 (Rice Lake). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54822 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.