Frost Report

All states Wisconsin

Frost dates for Marinette, WI

When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.

Last spring frost

May 4

typical year

Safe to plant

May 20

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 11

typical year

Growing season

160 days

frost-free, typical year

When to plant

Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.

CropStart indoorsPlant outsideFall planting
Cool-season crops
Peas – Apr 6 – 20 –
Spinach – Mar 23 – Apr 13 Aug 16 – 30
Lettuce – Apr 6 – 27 Aug 16 – 30
Radishes – Apr 6 – May 18 Aug 30 – Sep 13
Onions – Apr 6 – 20 –
Potatoes – Apr 13 – 27 –
Carrots – Apr 13 – May 4 Jul 19 – Aug 2
Beets – Apr 6 – 20 Aug 2 – 16
Kale Feb 23 – Mar 9 Apr 6 – 20 Aug 2 – 16
Broccoli Feb 23 – Mar 9 Apr 20 – May 4 Aug 2 – 16
Cabbage Feb 9 – 23 Apr 6 – 20 Aug 2 – 16
Garlic – – Aug 30 – Sep 20
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Mar 25 – Apr 8 May 20 – Jun 3 –
Peppers Mar 18 – Apr 1 May 27 – Jun 10 –
Cucumbers – May 20 – Jun 10 –
Zucchini – May 20 – Jun 17 –
Pumpkins – May 20 – Jun 10 –
Green beans – May 20 – Aug 2 –
Sweet corn – May 20 – Jun 17 –
Basil Apr 15 – 29 May 27 – Jun 3 –

Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.

The year at a glance

Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting

The chance of frost, by date

1 year in 10Half of years9 years in 10
Spring frost after May 20May 4April 19
Fall frost before September 29October 11October 29

Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.

Hard freeze (28°F)

A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around April 22 (May 10 in a late year), and the first one in fall around October 27.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 2 towns.

Marinette, Menominee, MI

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station MARINETTE, WI US (USC00475091), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 3 zip codes, all within 12 miles:

49858, 54143, 54159

Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.