USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54872 — Siren, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Grantsburg, WI (990 ft), 14 miles west.
Updated
In Siren, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 11 in half of years and has passed by May 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 1, as early as September 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 141 days (NOAA, Grantsburg, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 11
- First fall frost
- October 1
- Growing season
- 141 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 6
- Last snow
- April 12
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 52.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Siren
Half of springs at Grantsburg, WI see their last 32°F night by May 11; only one in ten is past it by April 27, and one in ten still has one after May 28. Planting tender crops after May 18 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 23 20%, and after May 28 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% 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 16 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 17, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 141 days in a typical year, shorter than at 82% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 160 days one year in ten and falls short of 117 one year in ten. On average 177 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 12 days longer, to about May 23, and return around September 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 10 and April 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 7 | May 13 | May 17 | May 20 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | Jun 1 | Jun 6 |
| 32°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 | May 28 |
| 28°F | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 24°F | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 |
| 20°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 16°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 7 | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 5 |
| 32°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 28°F | Sep 26 | 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 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 20°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 16°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Grantsburg, 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 54872 →Compare Siren with another place →
Weather by month in Siren
July is the warmest month at Grantsburg, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 22°F and 1°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 81% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,339 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (762) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 626. Precipitation totals 34.1 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in January (0.9"); 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 | 1 | 0.9 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 28 | 5 | 0.9 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 18 | 1.6 | 100% | 28 | 6 |
| Apr | 56 | 31 | 2.9 | 100% | 18 | 46 |
| May | 69 | 44 | 4.1 | 81% | 3 | 236 |
| Jun | 78 | 53 | 4.5 | 5% | 0 | 474 |
| Jul | 82 | 58 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Aug | 80 | 56 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 561 |
| Sep | 72 | 47 | 3.7 | 49% | 2 | 312 |
| Oct | 58 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 13 | 72 |
| Nov | 41 | 22 | 1.8 | 100% | 25 | 6 |
| Dec | 27 | 10 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Grantsburg, WI (990 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, Luck, WI, 15 miles south of Siren and 230 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (May 6), a first frost 3 days later (October 4), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Siren, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Siren usually arrives around November 6, and the last of the season around April 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Grantsburg, WI, 14.3 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 29 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54872
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 2 – March 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 16 – March 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 13 – April 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 11 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 54872 is 14 miles from Grantsburg, WI, which stands at 990 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 55069 (Rush City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54872 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.