Moore Haven climate

Moore Haven Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moore Haven Lock 1, 1 km from Moore Haven, elevation 35 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moore Haven Lock 1. 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 January 23 and the first fall freeze around January 11, a growing season of about 361 days.

Median at 36°F
last February 4, first January 5
Median at 32°F
last January 23, first January 11
Median at 28°F
last January 16, first January 12

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°FMar 3Feb 23Feb 17Feb 10Feb 4Jan 31Jan 25Jan 17Jan 7
32°FFeb 17Feb 7Jan 31Jan 29Jan 23Jan 17Jan 13Jan 7Dec 30
28°FFeb 9Jan 31Jan 28Jan 23Jan 16Jan 13Jan 8Jan 4Dec 28
24°F–––––––––
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°FDec 10Dec 23Dec 29Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Jan 25Feb 3
32°FDec 23Dec 31Jan 2Jan 6Jan 11Jan 16Jan 22Jan 29Feb 7
28°FDec 24Jan 1Jan 5Jan 7Jan 12Jan 17Jan 25Jan 29Feb 4
24°F–––––––––
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°F365354344335331322314306296
32°F365365365365361352342334321
28°F365365365365365365365363344
24°F365365365365365365365365365
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
89% of years
32°F or colder
54% of years
28°F or colder
17% of years
24°F or colder
4% of years
20°F or colder
0% 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
418
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
3,440
Growing degree days, base 40°F
12,148
Growing degree days, base 45°F
10,327
Growing degree days, base 50°F
8,514
Growing degree days, base 55°F
6,734
Growing degree days, base 60°F
5,026

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January14558388
February8778414
March50129544
April10229669
May1362826
June0455905
July0513978
August0525990
September0477927
October3351814
November28163585
December96100474

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 1 km from Moore Haven. 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 USC00085895 (Moore Haven Lock 1). Public domain.