Kasigluk Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Bethel AP. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around September 22, a growing season of about 122 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last June 2, first September 8
- Median at 32°F
- last May 21, first September 22
- Median at 28°F
- last May 11, first October 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 14 | Jun 10 | Jun 7 | Jun 4 | Jun 2 | Jun 1 | May 29 | May 25 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Jun 2 | May 31 | May 28 | May 24 | May 21 | May 19 | May 15 | May 12 | May 8 |
| 28°F | May 26 | May 21 | May 17 | May 13 | May 11 | May 8 | May 5 | May 3 | Apr 30 |
| 24°F | May 18 | May 13 | May 9 | May 5 | May 3 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 25 | Apr 21 |
| 20°F | May 10 | May 5 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 12 |
| 16°F | May 4 | Apr 30 | Apr 26 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 18 | Apr 15 | Apr 11 | 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 23 | Aug 29 | Sep 2 | Sep 5 | Sep 8 | Sep 11 | Sep 15 | Sep 17 | Sep 22 |
| 32°F | Sep 7 | Sep 12 | Sep 16 | Sep 19 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 4 |
| 28°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 27 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 15 |
| 24°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 |
| 20°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 16°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 8 |
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 | 116 | 109 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 93 | 88 | 83 | 74 |
| 32°F | 140 | 135 | 130 | 126 | 122 | 118 | 114 | 110 | 104 |
| 28°F | 161 | 156 | 151 | 146 | 143 | 140 | 136 | 132 | 124 |
| 24°F | 180 | 173 | 168 | 165 | 161 | 156 | 152 | 148 | 141 |
| 20°F | 193 | 186 | 182 | 178 | 174 | 171 | 167 | 162 | 154 |
| 16°F | 207 | 200 | 196 | 191 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 175 | 168 |
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
- 12,228
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 6
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 1,724
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 1,039
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 501
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 175
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 41
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,799 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,448 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,565 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 1,079 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 681 | 0 | 15 |
| June | 353 | 2 | 130 |
| July | 273 | 3 | 200 |
| August | 345 | 1 | 132 |
| September | 569 | 0 | 23 |
| October | 1,018 | 0 | 0 |
| November | 1,393 | 0 | 0 |
| December | 1,705 | 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 39.3 km from Kasigluk. 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 USW00026615 (Bethel AP). Public domain.