USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 54942 — Greenville, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Appleton, WI (792 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Greenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 154 days (NOAA, Appleton, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 154 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 17
- Last snow
- April 15
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 49.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greenville
Half of springs at Appleton, WI see their last 32°F night by May 4; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 14 20%, and after May 20 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 6 in half of years, as early as September 23 one year in ten, and holds off past October 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around October 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 8, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 154 days in a typical year, shorter than at 53% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 176 days one year in ten and falls short of 134 one year in ten. On average 157 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 15, and return around September 28. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 20 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 19 | May 22 | May 25 | May 29 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 32°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 21 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Appleton, 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 54942 →Compare Greenville with another place →
Weather by month in Greenville
July is the warmest month at Appleton, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 61°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 10°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 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,525 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (804) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 663. Precipitation totals 33.2 inches a year, most in June (4.7") and least in February (1.1"); May to September bring 57% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 10 | 1.4 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 12 | 1.1 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 9 |
| Apr | 54 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 13 | 46 |
| May | 67 | 46 | 3.6 | 62% | 2 | 245 |
| Jun | 77 | 57 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 504 |
| Jul | 82 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 663 |
| Aug | 79 | 60 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Sep | 72 | 51 | 3.2 | 28% | <1 | 351 |
| Oct | 58 | 39 | 2.8 | 97% | 8 | 92 |
| Nov | 43 | 28 | 2.1 | 100% | 21 | 9 |
| Dec | 31 | 17 | 1.8 | 100% | 29 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Appleton, WI (792 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, New London, WI, 10 miles northwest of Greenville, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Greenville, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Greenville usually arrives around November 17, and the last of the season around April 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Appleton, WI, 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 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54942
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 23 – March 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 6 – April 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 6 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 54942 is 5 miles from Appleton, WI, which stands at 792 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 11 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 54956 (Neenah). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54942 in zone 5b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -15 to -10°F (-26.1 to -23.3°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.