USDA Hardiness Zone 5b
Frost Dates for 54947 — Larsen, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from New London, WI (800 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Larsen, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 4 in half of years and has passed by May 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 6, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, New London, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 4
- First fall frost
- October 6
- Growing season
- 153 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 21
- Last snow
- April 13
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 45.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
28 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Larsen
Half of springs at New London, 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 19. Planting tender crops after May 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 14 20%, and after May 19 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 6 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 22 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 9, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 153 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 182 Wisconsin stations; it reaches 172 days one year in ten and falls short of 135 one year in ten. On average 164 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 17, and return around September 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 19 and March 25.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 13 | May 17 | May 19 | May 23 | May 27 | Jun 1 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 4 | May 7 | May 10 | May 14 | May 19 |
| 28°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 9 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 20°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 16°F | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 14 | Sep 18 | Sep 21 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 9 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 6 | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 22 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 24°F | Oct 14 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 20°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at New London, 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 54947 →Compare Larsen with another place →
Weather by month in Larsen
July is the warmest month at New London, WI, averaging 81°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 25°F and 8°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 64% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,378 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 58% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 32% of them (770) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 621. Precipitation totals 34.9 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in February (1.2"); May to September bring 58% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | 8 | 1.3 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
| Feb | 29 | 11 | 1.2 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 41 | 22 | 2.1 | 100% | 26 | 10 |
| Apr | 54 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
| May | 68 | 45 | 4.2 | 64% | 2 | 235 |
| Jun | 77 | 55 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 481 |
| Jul | 81 | 59 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 621 |
| Aug | 79 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 572 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.4 | 30% | 1 | 324 |
| Oct | 58 | 38 | 2.9 | 97% | 10 | 82 |
| Nov | 43 | 26 | 1.9 | 100% | 22 | 8 |
| Dec | 30 | 15 | 1.8 | 100% | 30 | 0 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at New London, WI (800 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, Oshkosh, WI, 13 miles southeast of Larsen, has a last frost 10 days earlier (April 24), a first frost 14 days later (October 20), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Larsen, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Larsen usually arrives around November 21, and the last of the season around April 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at New London, WI, 11.7 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54947
| 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 54947 is 12 miles from New London, WI, which stands at 800 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 54961 (New London). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54947 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.