Albany, WI 53502 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Albany, WI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/29, about 244 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/12, about 165 frost-free days later.
Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 Albany, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
About 6 weeks of growing season left in Albany before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 04/29 isn't a guarantee
04/29 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/14 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/14 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Albany compares
Albany's growing season runs about 165 days, ranking 30,641 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 199 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Albany can differ from the 53502 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Albany's frost date answer different questions.