Sand Point climate

Sand Point Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sand Point 1 Ene, 2.5 km from Sand Point, elevation 240 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sand Point 1 Ene. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 160 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 29, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 11, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 26, 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°FJun 10Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 29May 27May 23May 20May 14
32°FMay 25May 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 26
28°FMay 12May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 11Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 19Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23Mar 13
16°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22Mar 15Mar 2Feb 20Feb 4

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 18Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 18
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 24Oct 30Nov 5
28°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 15Nov 23
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2Dec 11
20°FNov 12Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 8Dec 15Dec 23Jan 1
16°FNov 30Dec 6Dec 13Dec 19Dec 26Dec 31Jan 5Jan 15Jan 31

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°F147140135131127123119113107
32°F185176170164160155152147140
28°F217208202197192188182176168
24°F247237231225220214208202194
20°F280269260252246240234227218
16°F327308296284276271264255244

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
9,127
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
0
Growing degree days, base 40°F
1,384
Growing degree days, base 45°F
658
Growing degree days, base 50°F
196
Growing degree days, base 55°F
21
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05700
February94100
March1,05900
April89100
May74900
June534017
July423063
August386089
September489026
October73801
November86000
December1,00100

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 2.5 km from Sand Point. 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 USW00025630 (Sand Point 1 Ene). Public domain.