Frost dates in Milwaukee: last spring frost and first autumn frost
When is it safe to plant out in Milwaukee, and when does the first frost come? Dates from 45 years of nightly minimum temperatures (1981–2025), with how early or late they can fall.
Frost dates in Milwaukee and how sure they are
| Early year (1 in 10) | Typical (median) | Late year (1 in 10) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last spring frost | 16 April | 27 April | 12 May |
| First autumn frost | 7 October | 19 October | 3 November |
In a typical year the last frost in Milwaukee falls around 27 April and the first one around 19 October, leaving about 174 frost-free days (between 160 and 191 in 8 years out of 10). To be safe, plant tender crops after 12 May: by then the last frost has passed in 9 years out of 10. Bring them in before 7 October: in 1 year in 10 the first frost comes earlier.
Frost month by month in Milwaukee
| Month | Average low | Coldest night (avg) | Record low | Frost nights | Years with frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -11.3 °C | -24.6 °C | -38.9 °C | 29.8 | 100% |
| February | -9.1 °C | -21.1 °C | -37.3 °C | 26.4 | 100% |
| March | -2.9 °C | -12.7 °C | -25.9 °C | 23.9 | 100% |
| April | 2 °C | -4.5 °C | -9.9 °C | 9.7 | 100% |
| May | 7.9 °C | 1 °C | -4.5 °C | 0.6 | 36% |
| June | 13.7 °C | 6.9 °C | 2.1 °C | 0 | 0% |
| July | 17.2 °C | 12 °C | 8.7 °C | 0 | 0% |
| August | 16.8 °C | 11.7 °C | 5.3 °C | 0 | 0% |
| September | 12.4 °C | 5 °C | -0.3 °C | 0 | 2% |
| October | 5.6 °C | -2 °C | -6.4 °C | 3.5 | 84% |
| November | -1 °C | -9.1 °C | -15.4 °C | 18.3 | 100% |
| December | -7.7 °C | -19.4 °C | -34.8 °C | 28.2 | 100% |
Frost here means a night minimum at or below 0 °C at 2 m. Frost nights is the average count per month; years with frost is how many years had at least one.
Frost alerts for your garden or field
LayEarth Business Agro sends an alert when the forecast low at your saved site drops below your threshold (0 °C by default), with frost risk, hours below zero and white or black frost for each forecast day. LayEarth Pro, from 9 USD a month, adds alerts for the places you follow.
Temperature map around Milwaukee
The live temperature layer of the map (NOAA GFS forecast): watch the cold nights coming hour by hour.
More for Milwaukee
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Questions
- When is the last frost in Milwaukee?
- On average around 27 April. In an early year the last frost comes by 16 April, in a late one (1 year in 10) after 12 May.
- When is the first frost in Milwaukee?
- On average around 19 October. In 1 year in 10 it comes before 7 October, in a mild year not until 3 November.
- How long is the growing season in Milwaukee?
- About 174 frost-free days between the last spring frost and the first autumn frost, from 160 in a short year to 191 in a long one.
- When can I plant tomatoes in Milwaukee?
- Frost-tender plants such as tomatoes, peppers, beans and courgettes go out after the last frost: after 12 May the risk is down to 1 year in 10. Hardy crops can go earlier.
- How cold does it get in Milwaukee?
- The coldest night of winter averages -26.7 °C; the lowest since 1981 was -38.9 °C in 1982.
Frost dates nearby
Chicago · Indianapolis · Detroit · Minneapolis · Cincinnati · St. Louis
How these dates are computed
Daily minimum temperature at 2 m from NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis, public domain), 1981–2025, corrected from the ~50 km grid to the real altitude of Milwaukee (6.5 °C per km). For each year: the last night at or below 0 °C before midsummer and the first one after it; the dates are the median and the 10% / 90% of those years. A garden in a frost pocket or a city centre can differ by days. Live temperatures: the temperature layer of the map.