Healy Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Healy. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around September 1, a growing season of about 97 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last June 8, first August 22
- Median at 32°F
- last May 27, first September 1
- Median at 28°F
- last May 12, first September 13
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 27 | Jun 18 | Jun 14 | Jun 10 | Jun 8 | Jun 5 | Jun 3 | May 31 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Jun 10 | Jun 5 | Jun 1 | May 30 | May 27 | May 23 | May 18 | May 15 | May 11 |
| 28°F | May 30 | May 25 | May 19 | May 16 | May 12 | May 10 | May 7 | May 3 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | May 19 | May 13 | May 9 | May 5 | May 3 | May 1 | Apr 28 | Apr 24 | Apr 19 |
| 20°F | May 11 | May 5 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 19 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 |
| 16°F | May 3 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 22 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 12 | Apr 9 | Apr 6 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Aug 8 | Aug 13 | Aug 16 | Aug 19 | Aug 22 | Aug 25 | Aug 28 | Sep 1 | Sep 6 |
| 32°F | Aug 18 | Aug 22 | Aug 26 | Aug 29 | Sep 1 | Sep 4 | Sep 8 | Sep 14 | Sep 19 |
| 28°F | Aug 27 | Sep 1 | Sep 5 | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 24 | Sep 29 |
| 24°F | Sep 9 | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 2 | Oct 7 |
| 20°F | Sep 16 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 14 |
| 16°F | Sep 23 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 93 | 86 | 80 | 76 | 73 | 68 | 63 | 57 | 47 |
| 32°F | 120 | 112 | 106 | 101 | 97 | 91 | 88 | 82 | 76 |
| 28°F | 144 | 137 | 132 | 127 | 121 | 117 | 111 | 105 | 97 |
| 24°F | 162 | 156 | 151 | 146 | 142 | 137 | 133 | 126 | 119 |
| 20°F | 177 | 170 | 165 | 161 | 157 | 152 | 149 | 143 | 136 |
| 16°F | 189 | 183 | 178 | 175 | 171 | 166 | 161 | 155 | 148 |
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
- 13,273
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 15
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 1,837
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 1,152
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 620
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 270
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 83
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,027 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,586 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,623 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 1,011 | 0 | 2 |
| May | 608 | 0 | 31 |
| June | 291 | 6 | 182 |
| July | 225 | 6 | 254 |
| August | 378 | 3 | 127 |
| September | 669 | 0 | 22 |
| October | 1,225 | 0 | 3 |
| November | 1,701 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 1,930 | 0 | 0 |
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 1.8 km from Healy. 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 USC00503585 (Healy). Public domain.