Kake climate

Kake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Petersburg 1, 64.2 km from Kake, elevation 107 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Petersburg 1. 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 April 29 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first November 1

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°FMay 29May 24May 20May 17May 14May 10May 6May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 14May 8May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 15
28°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26
24°FApr 10Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 10Mar 2
20°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21Feb 8
16°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 19Feb 10Jan 30Jan 14

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 16Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 7Oct 11Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13Nov 20
24°FOct 30Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1Dec 8
20°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 20Jan 1
16°FNov 20Nov 27Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14Dec 21Dec 30Jan 7Jan 21

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°F159152147142138133128123116
32°F189182177173169164159153145
28°F229220213208204198193186177
24°F271259251245240233228222213
20°F305292284277271264257250241
16°F340327314305297290282272262

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
98% 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
8,018
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,284
Growing degree days, base 45°F
1,330
Growing degree days, base 50°F
610
Growing degree days, base 55°F
170
Growing degree days, base 60°F
25

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05700
February92100
March93200
April70701
May512038
June3311126
July2680198
August2870180
September428060
October67307
November87600
December1,02800

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 64.2 km from Kake. 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 USW00025329 (Petersburg 1). Public domain.