FrostDateCheck

Gratiot, WI 53541 Frost Dates

Frost dates for Gratiot, WI, ZIP 53541

Zone 5a

The last spring frost here typically falls around 04/27, about 242 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 165 frost-free days later.

Gratiot sits in USDA Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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

Zone 5a around Gratiot has about 6 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 04/27 isn't a guarantee

04/27 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 Gratiot compares

Gratiot's growing season runs about 165 days, ranking 30,753 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 204 of 860.

Learn more

zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Gratiot's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Gratiot's dates instead of trusting one.