Luverne climate

Luverne Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Highland Home 2 S, 22.5 km from Luverne, elevation 614 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Highland Home 2 S. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around March 4 and the first fall freeze around November 26, a growing season of about 265 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 19, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 4, first November 26
Median at 28°F
last February 17, first December 10

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 4Feb 25
32°FMar 25Mar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 12
28°FMar 13Mar 6Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17Feb 12Feb 6Jan 31Jan 20
24°FMar 2Feb 19Feb 12Feb 5Feb 1Jan 27Jan 20Jan 12Dec 30
20°FFeb 17Feb 6Feb 2Jan 29Jan 24Jan 19Jan 12Jan 5Dec 28
16°FFeb 4Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 19Jan 16Jan 10Jan 6Jan 2

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20Nov 26Dec 3
32°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 22
28°FNov 17Nov 24Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 18Dec 27Jan 2Jan 13
24°FNov 29Dec 8Dec 17Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 12Jan 18Feb 1
20°FDec 15Dec 27Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 16Jan 21Jan 31Feb 8
16°FJan 1Jan 3Jan 7Jan 11Jan 16Jan 19Jan 25Feb 1Feb 2

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F264256249244238233227221212
32°F297284276271265259252247237
28°F335324313305296289281272263
24°F365355343336331323314306293
20°F365365365365361351340332320
16°F365365365365365365365364343

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
99% of years
24°F or colder
87% of years
20°F or colder
54% of years
16°F or colder
22% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
2,014
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,072
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,259
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,551
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,952
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,482
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,181

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5193108
February3726142
March23226285
April8467435
May14234685
June0372822
July0453918
August0454919
September3319766
October68118516
November26817228
December4544129

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 22.5 km from Luverne. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00073802 (Highland Home 2 S). Public domain.