Fruitland climate

Fruitland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Malheur Branch Exp Stn, 9.2 km from Fruitland, elevation 2260 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Malheur Branch Exp Stn. 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first October 26

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 24May 16May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 9May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 11Apr 6
28°FApr 25Apr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 15
24°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 27Mar 18Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27Feb 21
20°FMar 13Mar 6Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 18Feb 13Feb 8Jan 30
16°FMar 1Feb 23Feb 17Feb 13Feb 8Feb 3Jan 27Jan 15Jan 5

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°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 29
28°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6Nov 10
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
20°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 6
16°FNov 8Nov 15Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 19Dec 30

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°F167160155151147143138132123
32°F195188182177173169163158151
28°F228219213208204198193187178
24°F265255248242237231225217209
20°F298288281274269263256250242
16°F332320312305297291283275264

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
5,556
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
917
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,378
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,156
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,107
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,230
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,502

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07400
February81601
March631019
April416298
May18642328
June57136530
July5358818
August9297753
September9279438
October4163118
November78704
December1,06600

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 9.2 km from Fruitland. 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 USC00355160 (Malheur Branch Exp Stn). Public domain.