Frost Report

All states Wisconsin

Frost dates for Sister Bay, 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 14

typical year

Safe to plant

May 28

frost is over in 9 of 10 years

First fall frost

October 18

typical year

Growing season

155 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 16 – 30 –
Spinach – Apr 2 – 23 Aug 23 – Sep 6
Lettuce – Apr 16 – May 7 Aug 23 – Sep 6
Radishes – Apr 16 – May 28 Sep 6 – 20
Onions – Apr 16 – 30 –
Potatoes – Apr 23 – May 7 –
Carrots – Apr 23 – May 14 Jul 26 – Aug 9
Beets – Apr 16 – 30 Aug 9 – 23
Kale Mar 5 – 19 Apr 16 – 30 Aug 9 – 23
Broccoli Mar 5 – 19 Apr 30 – May 14 Aug 9 – 23
Cabbage Feb 19 – Mar 5 Apr 16 – 30 Aug 9 – 23
Garlic – – Sep 6 – 27
Warm-season crops
Tomatoes Apr 2 – 16 May 28 – Jun 11 –
Peppers Mar 26 – Apr 9 Jun 4 – 18 –
Cucumbers – May 28 – Jun 18 –
Zucchini – May 28 – Jun 25 –
Pumpkins – May 28 – Jun 18 –
Green beans – May 28 – Aug 9 –
Sweet corn – May 28 – Jun 25 –
Basil Apr 23 – May 7 Jun 4 – 11 –

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 28May 14April 28
Fall frost before October 1October 18November 3

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 May 1 (May 17 in a late year), and the first one in fall around November 1.

Towns that use these dates

This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 3 towns.

Sister Bay, Egg Harbor, Ephraim

Where these dates come from

NOAA weather station EPHRAIM 1NE-WWTP, WI US (USC00472626), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 5 zip codes, all within 8 miles:

54202, 54210, 54211, 54212, 54234

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