USDA Hardiness Zone 5a
Frost Dates for 54960 — Neshkoro, Wisconsin
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Montello, WI (786 ft), 13 miles south.
Updated
In Neshkoro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 3 in half of years and has passed by May 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 5, as early as September 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 153 days (NOAA, Montello, WI).
- Last spring frost
- May 3
- First fall frost
- October 5
- Growing season
- 153 days
- Hardiness zone
- 5a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°C) coldest night
- First snow
- December 1
- Last snow
- April 8
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 42"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
30 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Neshkoro
Half of springs at Montello, WI see their last 32°F night by May 3; only one in ten is past it by April 21, and one in ten still has one after May 18. Planting tender crops after May 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 13 20%, and after May 18 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 5 in half of years, as early as September 22 one year in ten, and holds off past October 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around October 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 6, 12 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 132 one year in ten. On average 160 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 15, and return around September 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and March 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 1 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 15 | May 18 | May 21 | May 26 | May 31 |
| 32°F | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 13 | May 18 |
| 28°F | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 |
| 24°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 16°F | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 15 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 22 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 24°F | Oct 13 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Montello, 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 54960 →Compare Neshkoro with another place →
Weather by month in Neshkoro
July is the warmest month at Montello, WI, averaging 82°F by day and 60°F at night; January is the coldest at 26°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,497 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 182 Wisconsin stations. 33% of them (832) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 643. Precipitation totals 36.4 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (1.3"); May to September bring 59% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 8 | 1.4 | 100% | 31 | 0 |
| Feb | 31 | 11 | 1.3 | 100% | 27 | 0 |
| Mar | 43 | 22 | 1.9 | 100% | 26 | 11 |
| Apr | 56 | 34 | 3.7 | 100% | 14 | 59 |
| May | 69 | 46 | 4.4 | 60% | 1 | 257 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 5.0 | 1% | 0 | 505 |
| Jul | 82 | 60 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 643 |
| Aug | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Sep | 72 | 49 | 3.5 | 30% | 1 | 336 |
| Oct | 59 | 38 | 2.9 | 99% | 10 | 92 |
| Nov | 44 | 26 | 2.1 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
| Dec | 32 | 15 | 1.7 | 100% | 29 | 1 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Montello, WI (786 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, Berlin Wwtp, WI, 14 miles east of Neshkoro, has a last frost 2 days earlier (May 1), a first frost 3 days later (October 8), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Neshkoro, Wisconsin
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Neshkoro usually arrives around December 1, and the last of the season around April 8. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Montello, WI, 13.2 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 25 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 54960
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 22 – March 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 5 – April 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 5 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 54960 is 13 miles from Montello, WI, which stands at 786 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 53949 (Montello). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 54960 in zone 5a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -20 to -15°F (-28.9 to -26.1°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.