(WFRV) – As temperatures recently dipped into lows not seen for multiple months, Wisconsinites know that winter is on its way.
But what is the earliest freeze on record? With records set as recently as 2017 and some dating back to 1915, there are some interesting facts about first freezes in Wisconsin. On average the first freeze doesn’t arrive until early October in most areas.
Here is a look at the area’s earliest, average first and latest freezes on record:
Earliest freeze on record
Location | Date |
Green Bay | September 12, 1955 |
Appleton | September 10, 1917 |
Oshkosh | August 30, 1915 |
Manitowoc | September 16, 1916 |
Shawano | August 29, 1934 |
Marinette | September 11, 1943 |

Average date of first freeze
Location | Date |
Green Bay | October 8 |
Appleton | October 9 |
Oshkosh | October 7 |
Manitowoc | October 15 |
Shawano | September 26 |
Marinette | October 5 |
Latest freeze on record
Location | Date |
Green Bay | November 8, 1938 |
Appleton | November 8, 1938 |
Oshkosh | November 19, 2016 |
Manitowoc | November 12, 2016 |
Shawano | October 26, 2017 |
Marinette | November 1, 1971 |
Local 5’s Meteorologist Chad Roethlisberger contributed to this article.