Mauston, WI 53948 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Mauston, WI, ZIP 53948
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/02, about 247 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/07, about 158 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 Mauston, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 5a around Mauston 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.
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. 05/15 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Mauston compares
Mauston's growing season runs about 158 days, ranking 32,975 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 362 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Mauston can differ from the 53948 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 5a and Mauston's frost date answer different questions.