Your nature year
Eau Claire, Wisconsinthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Eau Claire?
At the Eau Claire 3sw weather station (2.4 mi), the average first fall frost is Oct 14 and the last spring frost Apr 24, which leaves Eau Claire some 173 growing days. The town is about 874 feet above sea level. Leaves usually come out around Apr 16 and the first flowers around May 13. About 4 weeks pass between first leaf and first bloom here. We follow 6 places within 150 miles of Eau Claire; the nearest lies 70 miles to the northwest. For a day trip, Saint Croix Riverway is 70 miles off; its fall foliage is usually well under way by early October (statewide). Minnesota Valley Refuge (85 mi) is the pick for wildflowers, Jun 1–Aug 31 (local timing). Across Wisconsin, 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)
Best this weekend nearby
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 84 mi · Fall foliage
Usually Sep 24–Oct 7
Sat Oct 3: Mostly Sunny, 64°F · Sun Oct 4: Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny, 62°F
No report yet
Places in their own usual window that weekend; reports are the latest official ones, forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Eau Claire's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 24 to ~Oct 14
- First leaf ~Apr 16
- First bloom ~May 13
- Fall color under way ~Oct 8 (WI)
- Today
Near Eau Claire 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 14 · last spring frost around Apr 24NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Eau Claire 3sw (2.4 mi, 50% dates)~2 weeks
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 84 mi · usually Sep 24–Oct 7Fall foliage · in its window now
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley Refuge · 85 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Eau Claire's nature year
- Spring green-upApr
- Last spring frostApr
- Wildflowers · Minnesota Valley RefugeJun–Aug
- Fall color (WI)Oct
- First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Saint Croix Riverway · 70 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
- Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul · 84 miusually Sep 24–Oct 7
- Apostle Islands · 141 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~7 days
Wildflowers
- Minnesota Valley Refuge · 85 miLocal timing: Jun 1–Aug 31~8 months
Snow in Eau Claire
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 10 (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 Eau Claire 3sw (2.4 mi away): 54 inches of snow in an average year, about 16.7 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
Apr 24
Average (50% date)
First fall frost
Oct 14
About 173 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 16
First bloom around May 13
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Eau Claire 3sw (2.4 mi from Eau Claire), 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 Eau Claire?
On average around Oct 14, and the last spring frost around Apr 24: about 173 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Eau Claire 3sw, 2.4 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Eau Claire?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 16 and first bloom around May 13, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Eau Claire?
Saint Croix Riverway, 70 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October); Mississippi River, Minneapolis–St. Paul, 84 miles (usually Sep 24–Oct 7); Apostle Islands, 141 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see wildflowers near Eau Claire?
Minnesota Valley Refuge, 85 miles (local timing: Jun 1–Aug 31). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Eau Claire?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 10: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Eau Claire 3sw. An average year brings 54 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)