Racine, WI 53404 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Racine, WI, ZIP 53404
Around 04/20 is the usual last spring frost, about 235 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/24, about 184 frost-free days later.
Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Racine, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 6a around Racine has about 8 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 04/20 isn't a guarantee
04/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/07 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/06 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Racine compares
About 184 days separate Racine's last and first frost, putting it 23,400 of 40,283 ZIP codes nationally. Within WI, it ranks 9 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Racine can differ from the 53404 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 6a and Racine's frost date answer different questions.