Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 53969 — Wyocena, WI

ZIP code 53969 (Wyocena, Columbia County) is in USDA zone 5a: the coldest winter night averages −20 to −15 °F. The median last spring frost is April 28 and the first fall frost October 10.

Where ZIP 53969 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone5a−20 to −15 °F
Coldest night−28.9 to −26.1 °C
Last frostApr 28
First frostOct 10
2012 zone5a

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 5a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Wyocena, WI…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates in Wyocena, WI

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Blue: frost possible · fading green: frost risk falling or rising (90% → 10%) · green: frost-free
Last spring frostApril 28median — 50% chance of a later frost
Safe for tender plantsMay 12only 10% chance of frost after
First fall frostOctober 10median — 10% chance by Sep 26
Growing season164 daysfrost-free, median

A hard freeze (28 °F) usually ends around April 16 and returns around October 22.

From the NOAA station Portage Wwtp, WI — 7 miles away, elevation 784 ft. NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 32 °F threshold. Low spots and valleys can freeze later in spring than the station.

When to plant vegetables in 53969

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PeasSow outdoors · Mar 17 – Mar 31
SpinachSow outdoors · Mar 17 – Apr 7
Broccoli, cabbageStart indoors · Feb 17 – Mar 3
Broccoli, cabbageTransplant · Apr 7 – Apr 21
Onion setsPlant outdoors · Mar 31 – Apr 14
PotatoesPlant outdoors · Apr 7 – Apr 21
LettuceSow outdoors · Mar 31 – Apr 14
Carrots, beetsSow outdoors · Apr 7 – Apr 21
TomatoesStart indoors · Mar 3 – Mar 17
TomatoesTransplant · May 5 – May 19
Peppers, eggplantStart indoors · Feb 17 – Mar 3
Peppers, eggplantTransplant · May 12 – May 26
BeansSow outdoors · May 5 – May 19
Sweet cornSow outdoors · May 5 – May 19
Cucumbers, squashSow outdoors · May 5 – May 19
Fall lettuce, spinachSow outdoors · Aug 15 – Aug 29
GarlicPlant cloves · Sep 26 – Oct 31
Start seeds indoorsSow or plant outdoorsFall plantingMedian last & first frost

Counted from the median last spring frost (Apr 28) and first fall frost (Oct 10) with the rules of thumb U.S. extension services publish. Cool-season crops take a light frost; warm-season crops do best once the soil is above about 60 °F.

When spring arrived in 2026

In 2026, spring leaf-out near 53969 came on Mar 30 — 14 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 13).

JanFebMarAprMayJun

The Spring Index marks the day when accumulated warmth is enough for lilac and honeysuckle to leaf out — a widely used signal that the growing season has started. Source: USA National Phenology Network, www.usanpn.org — Spring Indices, first leaf, 2026 (data as of 2026-09-08) and 30-year average 1991–2020 (CC BY 4.0).

Native plants for zone 5a in Wisconsin

510 plants native to the lower 48 states, recorded in Wisconsin, and rated by the USDA to survive −20 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 5a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 48

American basswood100 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican beech80 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −44 °FAmerican chestnut115 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican elm120 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −46 °FAmerican sycamore100 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −34 °Farborvitae50 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Shrubs 93

alderleaf buckthorn3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −33 °FAllegheny serviceberry35 ft · blooms early spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falternateleaf dogwood25 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −47 °FAmerican black currant3 ft · blooms early spring · to −46 °FAmerican hazelnut10 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican hornbeam30 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −34 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 191

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican bur-reed3 ft · blooms indeterminate · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican eelgrass1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −33 °FAmerican licorice4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican lotus3 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −36 °FAmerican pokeweed7 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °F

Grasses 158

American beachgrass2.5 ft · blooms spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °Farctic brome3 ft · blooms early summer · low shade tolerance · to −33 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbeaked sedge4 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbeaked spikerush3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −28 °FBebb's sedge3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Vines 5

American bittersweet15 ft · blooms spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fdevil's darning needles15 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Friverbank grape45 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −33 °Fsummer grape30 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −23 °FVirginia creeper1 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −28 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Wyocena, WI.

Soil in Wyocena, WI

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 53969 is Oshtemo — loamy sand, well drained.

TextureLoamy sanddrains and warms fast; dries out and needs more feeding
pH5.8moderately acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageWell drainednatural drainage class
Organic matter1.75%low — add compost
Hydrologic groupAwater soaks in fast
Farmland classprime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Oshtemo loamy sand, 0 to 2 percent slopes.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 53969; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Wyocena, WI

Summer high82 °Faverage high, July
Winter low10 °Faverage low, January
Hot days9days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights148nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days2,641base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day15 h 25 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day8 h 57 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation38.8 inper year, rain and melted snow

Average high and low, by month

0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32 °FJanuary: average high 26 °F, low 10 °F 26°10° JanFebruary: average high 31 °F, low 13 °F 31°13° FebMarch: average high 42 °F, low 24 °F 42°24° MarApril: average high 56 °F, low 36 °F 56°36° AprMay: average high 68 °F, low 48 °F 68°48° MayJune: average high 78 °F, low 58 °F 78°58° JunJuly: average high 82 °F, low 62 °F 82°62° JulAugust: average high 80 °F, low 59 °F 80°59° AugSeptember: average high 73 °F, low 51 °F 73°51° SepOctober: average high 59 °F, low 39 °F 59°39° OctNovember: average high 44 °F, low 28 °F 44°28° NovDecember: average high 32 °F, low 17 °F 32°17° Dec

Precipitation by month inches

0″1″2″3″4″5″6″January: 1.47 in precipitation 1.5 JanFebruary: 1.64 in precipitation 1.6 FebMarch: 2.46 in precipitation 2.5 MarApril: 4.12 in precipitation 4.1 AprMay: 4.46 in precipitation 4.5 MayJune: 5.83 in precipitation 5.8 JunJuly: 4.11 in precipitation 4.1 JulAugust: 4.19 in precipitation 4.2 AugSeptember: 3.68 in precipitation 3.7 SepOctober: 2.92 in precipitation 2.9 OctNovember: 2.26 in precipitation 2.3 NovDecember: 1.65 in precipitation 1.6 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Portage Wwtp, WI (7 mi away); precipitation: Pardeeville 2 Ne, WI (4 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 8 nearest ZIP codes share zone 5a.

539545a
Pardeeville, WI · 4 mi
539605a
Rio, WI · 6 mi
539555a
Poynette, WI · 8 mi
539285a
Doylestown, WI · 9 mi
539235a
Cambria, WI · 10 mi
539015a
Portage, WI · 10 mi
539115a
Arlington, WI · 12 mi
539265a
Dalton, WI · 12 mi

Wisconsin planting zones →

Questions about 53969

What planting zone is ZIP code 53969?

ZIP code 53969 (Wyocena, WI) is in USDA hardiness zone 5a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −20 to −15 °F (−28.9 to −26.1 °C).

When is the last frost in Wyocena, WI?

The median last spring frost (32 °F) near 53969 is April 28; after May 12 there is only a 10% chance of frost. Data: NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Portage Wwtp station.

When is the first frost in Wyocena, WI?

The median first fall frost near 53969 is October 10, giving a median frost-free growing season of 164 days.

When should I plant tomatoes in 53969?

Start tomato seeds indoors around Mar 3 – Mar 17 and set transplants outside around May 5 – May 19, one to three weeks after the median last frost.

How much rain and snow does 53969 get?

About 38.8 inches of precipitation a year (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Pardeeville 2 Ne station).

How hot do summers get in Wyocena, WI?

The average high peaks at 82 °F in July, with about 9 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 53969 have?

The USDA soil survey maps Oshtemo at the center of ZIP 53969: loamy sand, well drained, pH about 5.8 (moderately acidic).

Did spring come early in Wyocena, WI in 2026?

Spring leaf-out near 53969 came on Mar 30 in 2026, 14 days earlier than the 1991–2020 average (Apr 13), according to the USA National Phenology Network Spring Index.

What kind of onions grow in Wyocena, WI?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 53969 is 15 h 25 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).