Ester climate

Ester Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ester, 0.6 km from Ester, elevation 655 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ester. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around September 1, a growing season of about 98 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first August 21
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first September 1
Median at 28°F
last May 13, first September 11

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 22Jun 14Jun 9Jun 6Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 29May 24
32°FJun 4Jun 1May 29May 27May 24May 21May 18May 16May 12
28°FMay 27May 22May 18May 15May 13May 11May 9May 6May 3
24°FMay 17May 12May 9May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 23
20°FMay 9May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
16°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8

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°FAug 8Aug 13Aug 16Aug 19Aug 21Aug 24Aug 27Aug 29Sep 1
32°FAug 19Aug 24Aug 27Aug 29Sep 1Sep 2Sep 4Sep 7Sep 12
28°FAug 30Sep 2Sep 5Sep 8Sep 11Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23
24°FSep 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1
20°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 13
16°FSep 25Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20

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°F938884807773686355
32°F1151101051019896938881
28°F136131126122119116112108103
24°F156150146142139135132127122
20°F173167163159155152148144138
16°F185180176172169166162159153

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
13,922
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
29
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,045
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,360
Growing degree days, base 50°F
798
Growing degree days, base 55°F
387
Growing degree days, base 60°F
137

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January2,25200
February1,80200
March1,69600
April1,00201
May538054
June21510253
July15517329
August3392151
September668010
October1,25901
November1,85200
December2,14500

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 0.6 km from Ester. 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 USC00502870 (Ester). Public domain.