Your nature year
Oshkosh, Wisconsinthrough the year
When do frost, green-up and fall color come to Oshkosh?
The town is about 755 feet above sea level. Leaves usually come out around Apr 16 and the first flowers around May 14.
Spring takes about 4 weeks to go from leaf to bloom. Expect about 179 frost-free days in Oshkosh: the last spring frost usually comes around Apr 24, the first fall one around Oct 20, going by NOAA's Oshkosh station 0.3 miles away. The closest place we follow is Necedah Refuge, 80 miles away, for spring migration, with May (local timing). For fall foliage, the nearest is Lakewood (88 mi, usually well under way by early October (statewide)). We follow 4 places within 150 miles of Oshkosh; the nearest lies 80 miles to the west. Statewide, Wisconsin's fall color is usually well under way by early October.
Updated Sep 29. 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)
Oshkosh's year at a glance
- Frost possible
- Frost-free, ~Apr 24 to ~Oct 20
- First leaf ~Apr 16
- First bloom ~May 14
- Fall color under way ~Oct 8 (WI)
- Today
Near Oshkosh right now
- Fall color is usually well under way by early October in WisconsinStatewide · USA-NPN volunteer observations, 2020–2025 · not a forecast~9 days
- First fall frost usually around Oct 20 · last spring frost around Apr 24NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Oshkosh (0.3 mi, 50% dates)~3 weeks
- Fall foliage · Lakewood · 88 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~6 days
Oshkosh's nature year
- Apr: Spring green-upApr
- Apr: Last spring frostApr
- May: Spring migration · Necedah RefugeMay
- Oct: Fall color (WI)Oct
- Oct: First fall frostOct
Nearby, season by season
Fall foliage
- Lakewood · 88 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~6 days
- Chequamegon-Nicolet · 149 miStatewide: usually well under way by early October~6 days
Spring migration
- Necedah Refuge · 80 miLocal timing: with May~7 months
- Trempealeau Refuge · 148 miLocal timing: late April or early May~7 months
Snow in Oshkosh
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 25 (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 Oshkosh (0.3 mi away): 39 inches of snow in an average year, about 14.4 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 20
About 179 days without frost between
Spring green-up
Apr 16
First bloom around May 14
Frost: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals at Oshkosh (0.3 mi from Oshkosh), 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 Oshkosh?
On average around Oct 20, and the last spring frost around Apr 24: about 179 days without frost between. These are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals at Oshkosh, 0.3 miles away (the day a 32 °F night is as likely as not).
When does spring green-up reach Oshkosh?
The USA-NPN Spring Index puts first leaf around Apr 16 and first bloom around May 14, on average for 1991–2020 at the town.
Where can I see fall foliage near Oshkosh?
Lakewood, 88 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October); Chequamegon-Nicolet, 149 miles (statewide: usually well under way by early October). Distances are straight-line.
Where can I see spring migration near Oshkosh?
Necedah Refuge, 80 miles (local timing: with May); Trempealeau Refuge, 148 miles (local timing: late April or early May). Distances are straight-line.
When does it start snowing in Oshkosh?
Snow usually becomes possible around Nov 25: our calculation from NOAA's daily snow chances: the first day the chance of 0.1" or more of snow reaches 10%, at Oshkosh. An average year brings 39 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 29)