Orland climate

Orland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Orland, 0.3 km from Orland, elevation 254 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Orland. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around December 2, a growing season of about 279 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 3, first November 17
Median at 32°F
last February 25, first December 2
Median at 28°F
last January 15, first December 16

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 28Apr 19Apr 13Apr 8Apr 3Mar 29Mar 21Mar 13Mar 1
32°FApr 6Mar 24Mar 12Mar 2Feb 25Feb 17Feb 8Jan 31Jan 19
28°FFeb 24Feb 11Jan 31Jan 23Jan 15Jan 8Jan 3Dec 30Dec 20
24°FJan 27Jan 15Jan 7Jan 3Jan 1Dec 29Dec 23Dec 18Dec 12
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 2Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1
32°FNov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 5Dec 8Dec 13Dec 21
28°FDec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 28Jan 3Jan 18
24°FDec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 22Dec 26Jan 1Jan 3Jan 9Jan 22
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°F262250242234228222214207196
32°F318304294287279271262251237
28°F365360352345339333324314299
24°F365365365365365365364356345
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
84% of years
24°F or colder
32% of years
20°F or colder
4% 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
2,499
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,616
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,254
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,500
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,924
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,602
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,508

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January550027
February394075
March3154175
April18127299
May64133533
June10295735
July0426891
August0374839
September6271715
October8285469
November3352143
December561023

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 0.3 km from Orland. 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 USC00046506 (Orland). Public domain.