NOAA station USC00478672 · Wisconsin
Frost Dates for Two Rivers, WI
NOAA weather station Two Rivers (USC00478672), Wisconsin · elevation 589 ft (180 m) · hardiness zone 5b*
- Lower-risk planting dateafter May 10only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
- Typical last frostApril 2750% chance of a frost after it
- Typical first fall frostOctober 2150% chance of a frost before it
- Frost-free season175 daystypical year, 32°F
- Hardiness zone5bcalculated*
The year at a glance
Frost dates (32°F)
| Chance | Last frost in spring after | First frost in fall before |
|---|---|---|
| 10% (unlikely) | May 10 | October 4 |
| 50% (typical) | April 27 | October 21 |
| 90% (likely) | April 14 | November 3 |
- Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
- 175 days
- Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
- April 14
- Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
- November 1
The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)
Typical last frost April 28 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost October 26 (5 days later). Frost-free season 180 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
What actually happened in recent years
| Year | Last spring frost | First fall frost |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | April 25 | November 2 |
| 2022 | April 28 | October 15 |
| 2023 | April 26 | October 30 |
| 2024 | April 25 | November 2 |
| 2025 | April 12 | November 2 |
| 2026 | May 2 | season not over yet |
What these dates mean
The 175 days between the 32 °F 50 % dates of April 27 and October 21 frame the period when tender crops can be grown in Two Rivers. Within that span, light frosts become increasingly unlikely after the cautious spring date and increasingly likely before the cautious fall date.
For a gardener, the 50 % dates are reference points of even odds for a light frost; they are not frost dates themselves. The cautious date for setting out tender crops in spring is May 10, when there is only a 10 % chance of a later frost, while April 14 carries a 90 % chance and is a gamble. In fall, the cautious date to finish harvesting tender crops is October 4, with a 10 % chance of an earlier frost, whereas November 3 has a 90 % chance and is a gamble. The 50 % hard-frost dates are April 14 and November 1; a hard frost at 28 °F can damage plants that survive a light frost at 32 °F, so it represents a greater threat.
How to read the probabilities
The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.
- Spring: "10% after May 10" 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 October 4" 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
- Manitowoc, WI 6 mi (9 km)
- Kewaunee, WI 22 mi (36 km)
- Chilton, WI 30 mi (48 km)
- Plymouth, WI 35 mi (56 km)
- Green Bay, WI 36 mi (59 km)
Sources
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, station USC00478672
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals
- PRISM Group, Oregon State University — 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone GIS datasets
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 2006–2020 (15-year normals), station USC00478672
- NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network – Daily (GHCN-Daily), observed daily minimum temperature, retrieved 2026-10-08
* Hardiness zone 5b: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.
Station coordinates: 44.1431, -87.5678.