Hancock, WI 54943 Frost Dates
When can you plant in Hancock, WI?
Around 05/10 is the usual last spring frost, about 255 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 10/03, about 146 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Hancock in Zone 4b (-25 to -20°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 5 weeks of growing season left in Hancock 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
05/10 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 04/25 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 05/24 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Hancock compares
Hancock's growing season runs about 146 days, ranking 36,108 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within WI, it ranks 652 of 860.
Learn more
local microclimates covers what one yard in Hancock can differ from the 54943 normal. zone vs. frost date covers why Zone 4b and Hancock's frost date answer different questions.