McCloud climate

McCloud Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mccloud, 0.5 km from McCloud, elevation 3233 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mccloud. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 123 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 13, first September 12
Median at 32°F
last May 28, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last May 3, first October 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°FJun 27Jun 23Jun 19Jun 16Jun 13Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4May 30
32°FJun 15Jun 8Jun 4Jun 1May 28May 22May 18May 13May 7
28°FMay 28May 17May 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
24°FMay 6Apr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 1Mar 25
20°FApr 18Apr 7Apr 1Mar 27Mar 21Mar 16Mar 8Feb 28Feb 18
16°FMar 20Mar 8Mar 2Feb 25Feb 18Feb 11Feb 3Jan 23Jan 9

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°FAug 27Sep 2Sep 6Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25
32°FSep 12Sep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 23Oct 28
24°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 12Nov 21
20°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 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°F10810297938884807464
32°F14813913412912311811410899
28°F183176171166162157152145135
24°F228217210203198193186179172
20°F282269261251243236227220207
16°F333320309299291283274265252

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
99% 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
5,612
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
390
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,466
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,271
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,297
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,504
Growing degree days, base 60°F
863

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January91300
February75301
March73906
April557047
May31912199
June13251375
July20167612
August26118557
September12240371
October4113121
November69809
December92400

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 0.5 km from McCloud. 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 USC00045449 (Mccloud). Public domain.