When to plant in Kenosha, WI
Planting dates worked out from Kenosha's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 10
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
Apr 22
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 24
1 year in 10 by Oct 7
Frost-free days
182
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Kenosha Wwtp · 2.7 km away · station 181 m, town 184 m. How we match towns to stations
This season
Plan your garden.
Planting dates for common crops
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant out or sow | Harvest from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato | Mar 18 – Apr 1 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 7 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 12 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 4 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 22 | May 18 |
| Peas | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | Jun 2 |
| Bush beans | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jun 27 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 4 – Mar 18 | Apr 15 – Apr 29 | May 28 |
| Broccoli | Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jun 7 |
| Cucumber | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 2 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Jun 27 |
| Winter squash | Apr 15 – Apr 22 | May 13 – May 27 | Aug 1 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 8 – May 29 | Jul 7 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 8 – Apr 29 | Jul 7 |
| Garlic | — | Oct 8 – Nov 5 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 8 – May 6 | May 16 |
| Basil | Apr 1 – Apr 15 | May 13 – May 27 | Jul 9 |
Kenosha's weather over time
How the growing season has shifted here, year by year, from the station's own records.
Each year's last spring frostLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Last spring frost |
|---|---|
| 1944 | May 6 |
| 1945 | May 10 |
| 1946 | Apr 27 |
| 1948 | May 8 |
| 1949 | Apr 17 |
| 1951 | Apr 22 |
| 1952 | Apr 13 |
| 1953 | Apr 21 |
| 1954 | May 9 |
| 1955 | Apr 7 |
| 1956 | May 24 |
| 1957 | Apr 16 |
| 1958 | Apr 29 |
| 1959 | Apr 23 |
| 1960 | May 13 |
| 1961 | May 1 |
| 1962 | Apr 16 |
| 1963 | May 1 |
| 1964 | Apr 15 |
| 1965 | Apr 19 |
| 1966 | May 10 |
| 1967 | May 6 |
| 1968 | May 6 |
| 1969 | Apr 30 |
| 1970 | Apr 23 |
| 1971 | May 12 |
| 1972 | Apr 26 |
| 1973 | Apr 14 |
| 1974 | Apr 24 |
| 1975 | Apr 21 |
| 1976 | May 7 |
| 1977 | May 8 |
| 1978 | May 2 |
| 1979 | May 1 |
| 1980 | Apr 24 |
| 1981 | May 10 |
| 1982 | Apr 22 |
| 1983 | May 16 |
| 1984 | May 16 |
| 1986 | Apr 23 |
| 1987 | Apr 9 |
| 1988 | Apr 21 |
| 1989 | May 7 |
| 1990 | Apr 18 |
| 1991 | Apr 11 |
| 1992 | Apr 28 |
| 1993 | Apr 27 |
| 1994 | Apr 7 |
| 1995 | Apr 24 |
| 1996 | May 30 |
| 1997 | Apr 18 |
| 1998 | Apr 5 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | Apr 21 |
| 2001 | Apr 18 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | Apr 23 |
| 2004 | May 3 |
| 2005 | Mar 28 |
| 2006 | Apr 9 |
| 2007 | Apr 15 |
| 2008 | Apr 30 |
| 2009 | Apr 17 |
| 2010 | Apr 9 |
| 2011 | Apr 21 |
| 2012 | Apr 13 |
| 2013 | Apr 20 |
| 2014 | Apr 16 |
| 2015 | Apr 24 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | Mar 29 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 9 |
| 2021 | Apr 22 |
| 2022 | Apr 27 |
| 2023 | Apr 26 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
| 2025 | Apr 16 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 162 |
| 1945 | 152 |
| 1946 | 198 |
| 1951 | 168 |
| 1952 | 175 |
| 1953 | 196 |
| 1954 | 173 |
| 1955 | 176 |
| 1956 | 118 |
| 1957 | 191 |
| 1958 | 154 |
| 1959 | 171 |
| 1960 | 159 |
| 1961 | 153 |
| 1962 | 189 |
| 1963 | 184 |
| 1964 | 173 |
| 1965 | 191 |
| 1966 | 167 |
| 1967 | 157 |
| 1968 | 150 |
| 1969 | 166 |
| 1970 | 175 |
| 1971 | 172 |
| 1972 | 171 |
| 1973 | 202 |
| 1974 | 151 |
| 1975 | 205 |
| 1976 | 163 |
| 1977 | 160 |
| 1978 | 158 |
| 1979 | 164 |
| 1980 | 171 |
| 1981 | 160 |
| 1982 | 176 |
| 1983 | 128 |
| 1984 | 132 |
| 1986 | 192 |
| 1987 | 181 |
| 1988 | 173 |
| 1989 | 149 |
| 1990 | 183 |
| 1991 | 187 |
| 1992 | 171 |
| 1993 | 155 |
| 1994 | 225 |
| 1995 | 191 |
| 1996 | 152 |
| 1997 | 186 |
| 1998 | 211 |
| 1999 | 180 |
| 2000 | 167 |
| 2001 | 171 |
| 2002 | 151 |
| 2003 | 161 |
| 2004 | 188 |
| 2005 | 226 |
| 2006 | 185 |
| 2007 | 205 |
| 2008 | 180 |
| 2009 | 175 |
| 2010 | 202 |
| 2011 | 191 |
| 2012 | 196 |
| 2013 | 184 |
| 2014 | 198 |
| 2015 | 175 |
| 2016 | 180 |
| 2017 | 221 |
| 2018 | 166 |
| 2019 | 179 |
| 2020 | 167 |
| 2021 | 193 |
| 2022 | 174 |
| 2023 | 186 |
| 2024 | 208 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1944 | 18.2 °C |
| 1945 | 16.2 °C |
| 1950 | 16.4 °C |
| 1951 | 16.4 °C |
| 1952 | 18.2 °C |
| 1953 | 18.2 °C |
| 1954 | 17.7 °C |
| 1955 | 19.0 °C |
| 1956 | 15.6 °C |
| 1957 | 15.9 °C |
| 1958 | 15.5 °C |
| 1959 | 16.6 °C |
| 1960 | 15.9 °C |
| 1961 | 15.8 °C |
| 1962 | 15.9 °C |
| 1963 | 15.7 °C |
| 1964 | 16.3 °C |
| 1965 | 15.3 °C |
| 1966 | 15.9 °C |
| 1967 | 14.9 °C |
| 1968 | 15.4 °C |
| 1969 | 15.1 °C |
| 1970 | 16.4 °C |
| 1971 | 15.7 °C |
| 1972 | 14.8 °C |
| 1973 | 16.6 °C |
| 1974 | 15.4 °C |
| 1975 | 15.5 °C |
| 1976 | 16.1 °C |
| 1977 | 16.5 °C |
| 1978 | 15.3 °C |
| 1979 | 15.0 °C |
| 1980 | 15.9 °C |
| 1981 | 15.7 °C |
| 1982 | 13.9 °C |
| 1983 | 15.2 °C |
| 1984 | 14.6 °C |
| 1986 | 16.4 °C |
| 1987 | 17.5 °C |
| 1988 | 17.6 °C |
| 1989 | 15.6 °C |
| 1990 | 16.1 °C |
| 1991 | 17.7 °C |
| 1992 | 14.3 °C |
| 1993 | 15.4 °C |
| 1994 | 16.3 °C |
| 1995 | 16.7 °C |
| 1996 | 15.1 °C |
| 1997 | 15.3 °C |
| 1998 | 17.7 °C |
| 1999 | 17.2 °C |
| 2000 | 17.1 °C |
| 2001 | 17.2 °C |
| 2002 | 17.3 °C |
| 2003 | 15.8 °C |
| 2004 | 16.4 °C |
| 2005 | 17.9 °C |
| 2006 | 17.0 °C |
| 2007 | 17.1 °C |
| 2008 | 16.6 °C |
| 2009 | 15.7 °C |
| 2010 | 18.0 °C |
| 2011 | 16.6 °C |
| 2012 | 18.3 °C |
| 2013 | 16.2 °C |
| 2014 | 15.5 °C |
| 2015 | 16.2 °C |
| 2016 | 17.7 °C |
| 2017 | 17.1 °C |
| 2018 | 16.7 °C |
| 2019 | 16.9 °C |
| 2020 | 17.2 °C |
| 2021 | 18.4 °C |
| 2022 | 17.0 °C |
| 2023 | 17.3 °C |
| 2024 | 17.9 °C |
| 2025 | 17.1 °C |
What this means for you: Since 1944, Kenosha's last spring frost has come about 1 day earlier per decade, on average. The frost-free season has grown by about 3 days per decade. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.
Source: daily records from Kenosha Wwtp (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.