Madera County climate

Madera County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Friant Government Camp, 25.1 km from Madera County, elevation 410 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Friant Government Camp. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around December 1, a growing season of about 262 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 15, first November 15
Median at 32°F
last March 9, first December 1
Median at 28°F
last January 19, first December 13

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 4Apr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 6Apr 1Mar 21
32°FApr 16Apr 7Mar 31Mar 21Mar 9Feb 28Feb 17Feb 4Jan 22
28°FFeb 28Feb 13Feb 1Jan 26Jan 19Jan 12Jan 4Dec 30Dec 19
24°FJan 24Jan 16Jan 9Jan 4Dec 31Dec 25Dec 19Dec 14Dec 4
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°FOct 29Nov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3
32°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 22
28°FNov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25Jan 2Jan 18
24°FDec 1Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 28Jan 1Jan 10Jan 17
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°F244234226220214209202195183
32°F314298285275262252244235224
28°F365355347341334326318305284
24°F365365365365365365359349339
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
100% of years
28°F or colder
85% of years
24°F or colder
39% of years
20°F or colder
5% 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
2,596
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,694
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,243
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,513
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,957
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,647
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,571

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January560030
February402071
March3312163
April22320256
May73113506
June11276716
July0470935
August0437902
September8286728
October8586467
November3294157
December575029

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 25.1 km from Madera County. 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 USC00043261 (Friant Government Camp). Public domain.