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 54701
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts ZIP 54701 in zone 4b (the coldest night of a typical year: -25 to -20°F).
The nearest station, Eau Claire (3 mi SW), WI, is 2 miles from the ZIP's center: its last spring frost comes after April 24 in half of years and after May 7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eau Claire (3 mi SW), WI | 2 mi | 880 ft | April 24 | May 7 | October 14 | 5a |
| Eau Claire, WIChippewa Valley Regional Airport | 8 mi | 885 ft | May 8 | May 21 | October 4 | 4b |
| Mondovi, WI | 15 mi | 830 ft | May 10 | May 25 | October 2 | 4b |
| Augusta, WIAugusta Ranger Station | 19 mi | 960 ft | May 7 | May 20 | October 1 | 4b |
| Menomonie, WI | 22 mi | 780 ft | May 9 | May 24 | October 1 | 4b |
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 Eau Claire (3 mi SW)
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 17 | May 9 | May 5 | April 20 | October 3 | September 19 |
| 32°F | May 7 | April 30 | April 24 | April 9 | October 14 | September 26 |
| 28°F (hard freeze) | April 30 | April 20 | April 14 | April 1 | October 26 | October 10 |
| 24°F | April 20 | April 10 | April 5 | March 22 | November 3 | 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.