Beaver Dam, WI 53916 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Beaver Dam, WI?
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 05/02, roughly 247 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/09, about 157 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Beaver Dam in Zone 5a (-20 to -15°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 6 weeks of growing season left in Beaver Dam before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
How much risk comes with planting early here
05/02 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/19 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/16 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Beaver Dam compares
Beaver Dam's growing season runs about 157 days, ranking 33,255 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 384 of 860.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 5a and Beaver Dam's frost date answer different questions. the frost range covers how to read the range around Beaver Dam's dates instead of trusting one.