Laton climate

Laton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hanford 1 S, 13.8 km from Laton, elevation 237 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hanford 1 S. 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 February 7 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 296 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 3, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last February 7, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last January 12, first December 14

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°FApr 10Apr 1Mar 19Mar 9Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 9
32°FMar 4Feb 25Feb 17Feb 12Feb 7Feb 2Jan 29Jan 21Jan 9
28°FFeb 9Jan 31Jan 25Jan 19Jan 12Jan 5Jan 1Dec 27Dec 16
24°FJan 23Jan 16Jan 8Jan 3Dec 31Dec 30Dec 26Dec 20Dec 13
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1
32°FNov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 22
28°FNov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 25Jan 1Jan 13
24°FDec 6Dec 10Dec 13Dec 18Dec 24Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 16
20°F–––––––––
16°F–––––––––

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°F282272265259252243235226213
32°F332318309302296289282274263
28°F365360351344339334328319307
24°F365365365365365365361351342
20°F365365365365365365365365365
16°F365365365365365365365365365

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
99% of years
28°F or colder
84% of years
24°F or colder
35% of years
20°F or colder
7% of years
16°F or colder
0% 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
2,365
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,998
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,775
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,038
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,463
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,100
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,952

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January570026
February382078
March2566227
April13645360
May38175602
June3353800
July0525990
August0485950
September4316762
October6991487
November3243156
December583025

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 13.8 km from Laton. 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 USC00043747 (Hanford 1 S). Public domain.