When to plant in Rome, WI
Planting dates worked out from Rome's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.
Safe to plant out
May 23
1 year in 10 has a later frost
Average last frost
May 11
about a 50% chance of a later one
Average first fall frost
Oct 1
1 year in 10 by Sep 21
Frost-free days
144
median, 1991–2020
Station used: Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Fld · 15.6 km away · station 309 m, town 308 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 28 – Apr 11 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 17 |
| Sweet pepper | Mar 14 – Mar 28 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 22 |
| Lettuce (leaf) | Mar 9 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – Apr 27 | May 23 |
| Peas | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | Jun 4 |
| Bush beans | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 5 |
| Carrot | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 19 |
| Beet | — | Apr 20 – Jun 1 | Jun 9 |
| Potato | — | Apr 20 – May 11 | Jun 29 |
| Kale | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | Apr 17 – May 1 | May 30 |
| Broccoli | Mar 2 – Mar 16 | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jun 12 |
| Cucumber | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 12 |
| Summer squash and zucchini | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 7 |
| Winter squash | Apr 25 – May 2 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Aug 11 |
| Sweet corn | — | May 16 – Jun 6 | Jul 15 |
| Onion (from sets) | — | Apr 13 – May 4 | Jul 12 |
| Garlic | — | Sep 17 – Oct 15 (fall) | following summer |
| Spinach | — | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 18 |
| Basil | Apr 11 – Apr 25 | May 23 – Jun 6 | Jul 19 |
Rome'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 |
|---|---|
| 1997 | May 21 |
| 1998 | Apr 29 |
| 1999 | Apr 25 |
| 2000 | May 20 |
| 2001 | Apr 19 |
| 2002 | May 21 |
| 2003 | May 22 |
| 2004 | May 15 |
| 2005 | May 4 |
| 2006 | May 6 |
| 2007 | Apr 16 |
| 2008 | May 28 |
| 2009 | May 17 |
| 2010 | May 10 |
| 2011 | May 27 |
| 2012 | Apr 29 |
| 2013 | May 24 |
| 2014 | May 17 |
| 2015 | May 20 |
| 2016 | May 15 |
| 2017 | May 8 |
| 2018 | Apr 29 |
| 2019 | Apr 28 |
| 2020 | May 13 |
| 2021 | May 29 |
| 2022 | May 23 |
| 2023 | May 3 |
| 2024 | Apr 25 |
Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Frost-free days |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 132 |
| 1998 | 155 |
| 1999 | 148 |
| 2000 | 127 |
| 2001 | 158 |
| 2002 | 138 |
| 2003 | 129 |
| 2004 | 136 |
| 2005 | 156 |
| 2006 | 137 |
| 2007 | 150 |
| 2008 | 127 |
| 2009 | 135 |
| 2010 | 145 |
| 2011 | 110 |
| 2012 | 146 |
| 2013 | 142 |
| 2014 | 140 |
| 2015 | 146 |
| 2016 | 145 |
| 2017 | 160 |
| 2018 | 152 |
| 2019 | 166 |
| 2020 | 141 |
| 2021 | 144 |
| 2022 | 127 |
| 2023 | 165 |
| 2024 | 164 |
Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend
See the data as a table
| Year | Growing-season temperature |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 14.7 °C |
| 1998 | 17.1 °C |
| 1999 | 16.4 °C |
| 2000 | 15.7 °C |
| 2001 | 16.8 °C |
| 2002 | 16.1 °C |
| 2003 | 16.0 °C |
| 2004 | 15.4 °C |
| 2005 | 17.6 °C |
| 2006 | 17.1 °C |
| 2007 | 16.9 °C |
| 2008 | 15.7 °C |
| 2009 | 15.3 °C |
| 2010 | 17.4 °C |
| 2011 | 15.9 °C |
| 2012 | 17.4 °C |
| 2013 | 16.2 °C |
| 2014 | 15.8 °C |
| 2015 | 17.1 °C |
| 2016 | 17.1 °C |
| 2017 | 16.6 °C |
| 2018 | 16.7 °C |
| 2019 | 16.2 °C |
| 2020 | 16.3 °C |
| 2021 | 17.3 °C |
| 2022 | 16.3 °C |
| 2023 | 17.2 °C |
| 2024 | 17.2 °C |
What this means for you: This station's record is too short to show a reliable trend yet.
Source: daily records from Wisconsin Rapids Alexander Fld (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.