Hartman Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Subiaco. 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 March 28 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 223 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last April 8, first October 27
- Median at 32°F
- last March 28, first November 5
- Median at 28°F
- last March 14, first November 15
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 | Apr 25 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 | Apr 8 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 30 | Mar 24 |
| 32°F | Apr 14 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 | Mar 28 | Mar 24 | Mar 19 | Mar 15 | Mar 8 |
| 28°F | Apr 1 | Mar 27 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 14 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 1 | Feb 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 20 | Mar 14 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 27 | Feb 23 | Feb 17 | Feb 9 |
| 20°F | Mar 10 | Mar 4 | Feb 28 | Feb 23 | Feb 17 | Feb 12 | Feb 7 | Jan 31 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F | Mar 1 | Feb 19 | Feb 12 | Feb 6 | Feb 1 | Jan 29 | Jan 21 | Jan 14 | Jan 1 |
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 | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
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 | 221 | 214 | 209 | 205 | 201 | 197 | 193 | 188 | 181 |
| 32°F | 247 | 239 | 233 | 228 | 223 | 220 | 215 | 210 | 202 |
| 28°F | 272 | 263 | 258 | 252 | 247 | 242 | 236 | 231 | 223 |
| 24°F | 301 | 292 | 284 | 277 | 271 | 266 | 260 | 253 | 244 |
| 20°F | 331 | 321 | 312 | 305 | 298 | 291 | 285 | 276 | 266 |
| 16°F | 362 | 350 | 341 | 334 | 328 | 321 | 314 | 306 | 295 |
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
- 91% 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
- 3,446
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,914
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 7,940
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 6,440
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 5,090
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 3,887
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 2,824
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 817 | 1 | 20 |
| February | 617 | 1 | 41 |
| March | 428 | 9 | 145 |
| April | 181 | 43 | 328 |
| May | 39 | 172 | 599 |
| June | 1 | 371 | 820 |
| July | 0 | 510 | 975 |
| August | 0 | 476 | 941 |
| September | 15 | 258 | 693 |
| October | 159 | 66 | 383 |
| November | 455 | 7 | 115 |
| December | 734 | 1 | 31 |
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 14.6 km from Hartman. 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 USC00036928 (Subiaco). Public domain.