U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00473186 · Wisconsin

Frost Dates for Gordon, WI

NOAA weather station Gordon (USC00473186), Wisconsin · elevation 1040 ft (317 m) · hardiness zone 4a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter June 4only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMay 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostSeptember 2650% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season126 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone4acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Gordon, WISpring: a frost after May 6 in 9 years out of 10, after May 22 in half of the years, after June 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 11 in 1 year out of 10, before September 26 in half of the years, before October 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 126 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~May 22First frost ~Sep 26Frost season at Gordon, WISpring: a frost after May 6 in 9 years out of 10, after May 22 in half of the years, after June 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before September 11 in 1 year out of 10, before September 26 in half of the years, before October 8 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 126 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~May 22First frost ~Sep 26
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)June 4September 11
50% (typical)May 22September 26
90% (likely)May 6October 8
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
126 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
May 9
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
October 5

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost May 23 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost September 28 (2 days later). Frost-free season 126 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring at Gordon: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% June 4, 20% May 31, 30% May 28, 40% May 25, 50% May 22, 60% May 19, 70% May 16, 80% May 12, 90% May 6. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 May 29, 2022 May 23, 2023 May 20, 2024 May 10, 2025 May 25, 2026 May 21.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%May 1Jun 1Jun 4May 22May 62021: May 292022: May 232023: May 202024: May 102025: May 252026: May 21Fall at Gordon: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% September 11, 20% September 17, 30% September 20, 40% September 23, 50% September 26, 60% September 29, 70% October 1, 80% October 4, 90% October 8. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 October 16, 2022 September 27, 2023 October 9, 2024 September 7, 2025 October 8.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Sep 1Oct 1Sep 11Sep 26Oct 82021: October 162022: September 272023: October 92024: September 72025: October 8
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021May 29October 16
2022May 23September 27
2023May 20October 9
2024May 10September 7
2025May 25October 8
2026May 21season not over yet

What these dates mean

June 4 is the cautious spring date; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, a gardener can plan to set out tender crops after this day with minimal risk.

The 50 % light-frost date is May 22 in spring and September 26 in fall, meaning that on each of those days the chance of a frost is even. The median hard-frost date is May 9 for spring and October 5 for fall, indicating a 50 % chance of a 28 °F event. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage plant tissue that survives a light frost at 32 °F, so it is a more severe threat.

September 11 is the cautious fall date; with only a 10 % chance of a light frost earlier, it marks the point by which tender crops should be finished harvesting. These dates derive from 28 years of NOAA normals for Gordon, Wisconsin.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after June 4" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before September 11" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Gordon, WINumbered nearest stations: 1 — Spooner, WI — 29 mi; 2 — Bruno, MN — 35 mi; 3 — Superior, WI — 36 mi; 4 — Cloquet, MN — 47 mi; 5 — Moose Lake, MN — 47 mi.MNWI25 mi · 40 km1. Spooner, WI — 29 mi12. Bruno, MN — 35 mi23. Superior, WI — 36 mi34. Cloquet, MN — 47 mi45. Moose Lake, MN — 47 mi5
  1. Spooner, WI 29 mi (47 km)
  2. Bruno, MN 35 mi (56 km)
  3. Superior, WI 36 mi (57 km)
  4. Cloquet, MN 47 mi (75 km)
  5. Moose Lake, MN 47 mi (76 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 4a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 46.245, -91.8047.