Nelson, WI 54756 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Nelson, WI?
The last spring frost here typically falls around 05/01, about 246 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/10, about 162 frost-free days later.
Nelson 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 6 weeks of growing season left in Nelson before the first fall frost — a cold frame or row cover can stretch harvest weeks past that date.
Why 05/01 isn't a guarantee
05/01 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/17 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 Nelson compares
Nelson's growing season runs about 162 days, ranking 31,862 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 287 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Nelson can differ from the 54756 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Nelson's frost date answer different questions.