Big Lake climate

Big Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle, 31.3 km from Big Lake, elevation 567 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle. 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 May 9 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 139 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 24, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 9, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 7

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°FJun 1May 30May 28May 26May 24May 21May 18May 15May 11
32°FMay 22May 17May 14May 11May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29
28°FMay 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
20°FApr 20Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18

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°FSep 2Sep 6Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26
32°FSep 12Sep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 10
28°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
24°FOct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
20°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
16°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15

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°F13012412011711311010610196
32°F157150147143139136132127120
28°F181175171167164160156152145
24°F200196191188185181177172165
20°F218211206203200196192188182
16°F232225220216212208204200195

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
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
10,535
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
13
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,060
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,282
Growing degree days, base 50°F
662
Growing degree days, base 55°F
254
Growing degree days, base 60°F
71

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,55800
February1,25600
March1,24300
April82503
May527037
June3003161
July2098264
August2943177
September542019
October95601
November1,33200
December1,49400

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 31.3 km from Big Lake. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

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Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00502645 (Eagle Rvr Gakona Circle). Public domain.