Frost dates by ZIP code: The nearest NOAA stations to your ZIP, 1991-2020 normals
Enter a five-digit ZIP code. PlainClimate finds its center (Census Bureau 2024) and the five nearest NOAA stations with frost dates, and shows each station's last spring and first autumn 32°F dates with its distance and elevation.
Frost dates near ZIP 54601
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 54601 in zone 5a (the coldest night of a typical year: -20 to -15°F).
The nearest station, La Crosse Weather Office, WI, is 3 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 27 in half of years and after May 12 in one year in ten. By the USDA's method its plant hardiness zone is 5a.
| Station | Distance | Elevation | Last frost (median) | 1 in 10 after | First frost (median) | Hardiness zone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Crosse Weather Office, WI | 3 mi | 1,307 ft | April 27 | May 12 | October 13 | 5a |
| La Crosse, WILa Crosse Regional Airport | 8 mi | 652 ft | April 23 | May 6 | October 17 | 5a |
| La Crescent, MNLa Crescent Dam 7 | 9 mi | 647 ft | April 15 | May 1 | October 28 | – |
| Genoa, WIGenoa Dam 8 | 17 mi | 639 ft | April 22 | May 5 | October 17 | 5a |
| Cashton (3 mi NNW), WI | 17 mi | 939 ft | May 6 | May 20 | October 3 | – |
Frost comes later in spring at higher and colder stations and earlier in low, open ground: prefer a station at a similar elevation to yours. Hardiness zone in the table: the USDA's rule (the average of each year's coldest night, 1991-2020) applied to the station's own record.
Every frost threshold at La Crosse Weather Office
NOAA publishes the dates for several temperatures and odds. A 30% spring date means a 3-in-10 chance of a later frost (the convention almanacs use); 50% is the median; 10% the cautious date.
| Threshold | Spring, 10% | Spring, 30% | Spring, 50% | Spring, 90% | Autumn, 50% | Autumn, 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F (light frost) | May 22 | May 14 | May 7 | April 24 | October 1 | September 20 |
| 32°F | May 12 | May 2 | April 27 | April 12 | October 13 | September 28 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | May 1 | April 22 | April 16 | April 3 | October 25 | October 10 |
| 24°F | April 20 | April 10 | April 6 | March 23 | November 4 | October 22 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals; ZIP centers: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. Autumn 10%: one year in ten has its first frost before this date.