Your nature year
Appleton, Wisconsinthrough the year
Also for Neenah, WI: the same nearby places.
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Appleton?
We follow 3 places within 150 miles of Appleton; the nearest lies 71 miles to the north. For a day trip, Lakewood is 71 miles off; its fall foliage is usually well under way by early October (statewide). Expect about 155 frost-free days in Appleton: the last spring frost usually comes around May 4, the first fall one around Oct 6, going by NOAA's Appleton station 2.5 miles away. Spring green-up reaches town around Apr 18, with first blooms around May 16. Appleton sits at about 763 feet. Statewide, Wisconsin's fall color is usually well under way by early October.
Updated Sep 28. Sources: US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) ↗ (opens in a new tab), US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
Appleton's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~May 4 to ~Oct 6
- First leaf ~Apr 18
- First bloom ~May 16
- Fall color under way ~Oct 8 (WI)
- Today
Near Appleton right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by early October in WisconsinStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~10 days
- First fall frost usually around Oct 6 · last spring frost around May 4NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Appleton (2.5 mi, 50% dates)~8 days
- Hiawatha National Forest · 134 mi · Local timing: Sep 21–30Fall foliage · in its window now
Appleton's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostMay
- Fall color (WI)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Lakewood · 71 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
- Chequamegon-Nicolet · 134 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
- Hiawatha National Forest · 134 miLocal timing: Sep 21–30
Snow in Appleton
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 15 (our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%). NOAA's normals at Appleton (2.5 mi away): 49 inches of snow in an average year, about 15.6 days with 1 inch or more.
NOAA's chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow on each date (one value per week, September to May), averaged over 1991–2020. A typical year, not a forecast.
Frost and green-up
Last spring frost
May 4
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 6
About 155 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 18
First bloom around May 16
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Appleton (2.5 mi from Appleton), the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not. Green-up: the USA-NPN Spring Index, 1991–2020 average at the town.
Questions people ask
When is the first frost in Appleton?
On average around Oct 6, and the last spring frost around May 4: about 155 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Appleton, 2.5 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Appleton?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 18 and first bloom around May 16, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Appleton?
Lakewood, 71 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October); Chequamegon-Nicolet, 134 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October); Hiawatha National Forest, 134 miles (local timing: Sep 21–30). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Appleton?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 15: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Appleton. An average year brings 49 inches (NOAA 1991–2020). A typical year, not a forecast.Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal snowfall) ↗ (opens in a new tab), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (daily snowfall probabilities) ↗ (opens in a new tab)
How we know
US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer (places) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · US Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, 2024 (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal) (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, Spring Index 1991–2020 averages (opens in a new tab) (Sep 27) · USA National Phenology Network, colored leaves observations (opens in a new tab) (Sep 28)