When to plant in Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Planting dates worked out from Wisconsin Rapids's own frost records, not a generic zone chart.

Last spring frost

Early · riskyApr 229 years in 10 still get a later frost
TypicalMay 7about half of years get a later frost
Safe to plant outMay 241 year in 10 gets a later frost

Hardy crops like peas and spinach are timed from the typical date. Wait for the safe date before planting out tomatoes, peppers and squash.

First fall frost

EarlySep 191 year in 10 has frost by then
TypicalSep 28about half of years have had frost
LateOct 69 years in 10 have had frost by then

A typical year has 145 frost-free days. Plan for tender crops to be ripe by the early date.

Station used: Wisconsin Rapids · 1.1 km away · station 315 m, town 313 m. How we match towns to stations

This season

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Planting dates for common crops

Crop	Start indoors	Plant out or sow	Harvest from
Tomato	Mar 29 – Apr 12	May 24 – Jun 7	Jul 18
Sweet pepper	Mar 15 – Mar 29	May 24 – Jun 7	Jul 23
Lettuce (leaf)	Mar 6 – Mar 13	Apr 10 – Apr 24	May 20
Peas	—	Apr 10 – May 8	Jun 4
Bush beans	—	May 17 – Jun 7	Jul 6
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	Feb 27 – Mar 13	Apr 10 – May 1	Jun 9
Cucumber	Apr 26 – May 3	May 24 – Jun 7	Jul 13
Summer squash and zucchini	Apr 26 – May 3	May 24 – Jun 7	Jul 8
Winter squash	Apr 26 – May 3	May 24 – Jun 7	Aug 12
Sweet corn	—	May 17 – Jun 7	Jul 16
Onion (from sets)	—	Apr 10 – May 1	Jul 9
Garlic	—	Sep 14 – Oct 12 (fall)	following summer
Spinach	—	Apr 10 – May 8	May 18
Basil	Apr 12 – Apr 26	May 24 – Jun 7	Jul 20

Plan all 65 crops for Wisconsin Rapids

Wisconsin Rapids'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
1903	May 3
1904	May 10
1905	May 9
1906	May 10
1907	May 21
1908	May 4
1909	May 11
1910	May 14
1911	May 5
1912	May 13
1913	Jun 8
1914	May 15
1915	May 19
1916	May 18
1917	May 24
1918	May 1
1919	Apr 29
1920	May 14
1948	May 24
1949	May 28
1950	May 16
1951	May 13
1952	May 16
1953	May 23
1954	May 20
1955	May 17
1956	Jun 2
1957	May 16
1958	May 29
1959	May 15
1960	May 12
1961	May 22
1962	Apr 20
1963	May 23
1964	Jun 1
1965	May 29
1966	May 31
1967	May 22
1968	May 6
1969	May 21
1970	May 6
1971	May 27
1972	Apr 27
1973	May 17
1974	May 13
1975	May 16
1976	May 18
1977	May 10
1978	May 10
1979	May 25
1980	May 12
1981	May 19
1982	Apr 28
1983	May 26
1984	May 29
1985	Apr 28
1986	May 3
1987	May 5
1988	May 25
1989	May 11
1990	May 11
1991	May 4
1992	May 27
1993	May 19
1994	May 6
1995	May 6
1996	May 13
1997	May 25
1998	Apr 29
1999	Apr 26
2000	May 20
2001	Apr 19
2002	May 18
2003	Apr 26
2004	May 15
2005	May 4
2006	May 7
2007	Apr 17
2008	Apr 30
2009	Apr 22
2010	May 10
2011	May 28
2012	Apr 30

Each year's frost-free daysLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Frost-free days
1903	146
1904	127
1905	154
1906	152
1907	123
1908	121
1909	138
1910	160
1911	143
1912	135
1913	105
1914	162
1915	141
1916	120
1917	108
1918	131
1919	164
1948	125
1949	109
1950	130
1951	137
1952	129
1953	121
1954	125
1955	116
1956	107
1957	133
1958	121
1959	124
1960	143
1962	138
1963	142
1964	102
1965	91
1966	117
1967	110
1968	150
1969	129
1970	156
1971	119
1972	147
1973	125
1974	113
1975	131
1976	125
1977	145
1978	140
1979	116
1980	136
1981	134
1982	170
1983	119
1984	119
1985	148
1987	142
1988	130
1989	134
1990	143
1991	137
1992	96
1993	127
1994	151
1995	138
1996	141
1997	128
1998	155
1999	147
2000	138
2001	169
2002	147
2003	156
2004	141
2005	155
2006	137
2007	150
2008	156
2009	161
2010	146
2011	125
2012	144

Each year's average temperature, April to SeptemberLong-term trend

See the data as a table

Year	Growing-season temperature
1903	15.7 °C
1905	15.7 °C
1906	16.6 °C
1907	14.1 °C
1908	16.6 °C
1909	15.5 °C
1910	16.2 °C
1911	16.3 °C
1912	15.5 °C
1913	16.2 °C
1914	15.9 °C
1915	15.4 °C
1916	16.6 °C
1917	15.1 °C
1918	15.7 °C
1919	17.3 °C
1948	17.3 °C
1949	17.2 °C
1950	15.0 °C
1951	15.6 °C
1952	16.1 °C
1953	15.7 °C
1954	15.2 °C
1955	17.4 °C
1956	14.8 °C
1957	15.6 °C
1958	15.2 °C
1959	16.9 °C
1960	15.6 °C
1961	15.3 °C
1962	14.9 °C
1963	15.7 °C
1964	16.1 °C
1965	15.1 °C
1966	15.2 °C
1967	14.4 °C
1968	15.7 °C
1969	15.6 °C
1970	16.3 °C
1971	15.5 °C
1972	15.4 °C
1973	16.0 °C
1974	15.3 °C
1975	15.7 °C
1976	16.1 °C
1977	17.3 °C
1978	16.0 °C
1979	15.3 °C
1980	16.8 °C
1981	15.8 °C
1982	15.5 °C
1983	16.2 °C
1984	16.2 °C
1985	16.4 °C
1986	16.2 °C
1987	17.4 °C
1988	17.8 °C
1989	14.9 °C
1990	15.0 °C
1991	16.2 °C
1992	14.0 °C
1993	14.7 °C
1994	16.1 °C
1995	16.4 °C
1996	15.1 °C
1997	15.0 °C
1998	17.6 °C
1999	16.8 °C
2000	16.1 °C
2001	16.9 °C
2002	17.0 °C
2003	16.4 °C
2004	15.3 °C
2005	17.6 °C
2006	16.9 °C
2007	17.4 °C
2008	15.9 °C
2009	16.1 °C
2010	18.8 °C
2011	15.6 °C
2012	17.2 °C

What this means for you: Since 1903, Wisconsin Rapids's last spring frost has stayed at about the same time of year. Year-to-year swings are large, so keep using the safe date rather than the trend.

Source: daily records from Wisconsin Rapids (NOAA GHCN-Daily). Years with too many missing days are left out.

Nearby towns

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