Ellsworth, WI 54003 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Ellsworth, WI?
Around 05/13 is the usual last spring frost, about 258 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 09/29, about 139 frost-free days later.
Ellsworth sits in USDA Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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
About 5 weeks of growing season left in Ellsworth 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
05/13 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/29 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/27 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Ellsworth compares
Ellsworth's growing season runs about 139 days, ranking 37,229 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 731 of 860.
Learn more
the frost range covers how to read the range around Ellsworth's dates instead of trusting one. local microclimates covers what one yard in Ellsworth can differ from the 54003 normal.