Milwaukee, WI 53208 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Milwaukee, WI?
Around 04/26 is the usual last spring frost, about 241 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/22, about 177 frost-free days later.
Milwaukee sits in USDA Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
About 8 weeks of growing season left in Milwaukee before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/26 isn't a guarantee
04/26 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/12 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/12 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Milwaukee compares
Milwaukee's growing season runs about 177 days, ranking 25,952 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 62 of 860.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 6a and Milwaukee's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Milwaukee's dates instead of trusting one.