Waukesha, WI 53052 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Waukesha, WI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/13, about 162 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Waukesha in Zone 5b (-15 to -10°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 7 weeks of growing season left in Waukesha before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/18 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/18 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Waukesha compares
Waukesha's growing season runs about 162 days, ranking 31,589 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 244 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Waukesha can differ from the 53052 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5b and Waukesha's frost date answer different questions.