USDA Hardiness Zone 4b
Frost Dates for 54874 — South Range, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pattison Ranger Staion, WI (1,100 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In South Range, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 18 in half of years and has passed by June 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 3, as early as September 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 135 days (NOAA, Pattison Ranger Staion, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 18
- First fall frost
- October 3
- Growing season
- 135 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 11
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
20 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in South Range
Half of springs at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI see their last 32°F night by May 18; only one in ten is past it by May 4, and one in ten still has one after June 3. Planting tender crops after May 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 29 20%, and after June 3 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 70% of the 182 Wisconsin stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 3 in half of years, as early as September 20 one year in ten, and holds off past October 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 21, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 135 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 156 days one year in ten and falls short of 116 one year in ten. On average 180 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 31, and return around September 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 13 and April 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 18 | May 23 | May 26 | May 29 | May 31 | Jun 2 | Jun 5 | Jun 8 | Jun 13 |
| 32°F | May 4 | May 9 | May 13 | May 15 | May 18 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 | Jun 3 |
| 28°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 21 |
| 24°F | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 20°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 16°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 10 | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 21 | Sep 24 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 28°F | Sep 30 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 22 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 16°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pattison Ranger Staion, 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 54874 →Compare South Range with another place →
Weather by month in South Range
July is the warmest month at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI, averaging 78°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 20°F and 1°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to May (a 90% chance or more). From July to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, June still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,821 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 25% of them (448) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 542.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 1 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 26 | 5 | 100% | 28 | 0 |
| Mar | 37 | 16 | 100% | 29 | 2 |
| Apr | 49 | 28 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| May | 62 | 39 | 95% | 5 | 108 |
| Jun | 72 | 49 | 15% | <1 | 325 |
| Jul | 78 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 542 |
| Aug | 77 | 56 | 0% | 0 | 511 |
| Sep | 68 | 48 | 40% | 1 | 263 |
| Oct | 55 | 36 | 100% | 11 | 53 |
| Nov | 39 | 23 | 100% | 24 | 2 |
| Dec | 26 | 10 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI (1,100 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, Superior, WI, 11 miles northwest of South Range and 493 feet lower, has a last frost 12 days earlier (May 6), a first frost 6 days later (October 9), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in South Range, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in South Range usually arrives around November 11, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Pattison Ranger Staion, WI, 8.6 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 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54874
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| March 9 – March 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 20 – May 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 3 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 54874 is 9 miles from Pattison Ranger Staion, WI, which stands at 1,100 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54874 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.