Oneida County Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Malad City. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around September 20, a growing season of about 116 days.
- Median at 32°F
- last May 22, first September 20
- Median at 28°F
- last May 4, first October 2
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32°F | Jun 16 | Jun 6 | Jun 1 | May 28 | May 22 | May 18 | May 15 | May 11 | May 6 |
| 28°F | May 21 | May 14 | May 10 | May 7 | May 4 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 26 | Apr 22 |
| 24°F | May 4 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Apr 18 | Apr 13 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 23 | Mar 17 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F | Apr 4 | Mar 27 | Mar 19 | Mar 14 | Mar 11 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 26 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 32°F | Sep 4 | Sep 10 | Sep 14 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 6 |
| 28°F | Sep 14 | Sep 21 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 13 | Oct 19 |
| 24°F | Sep 27 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 20°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 16°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 110 | 102 | 98 | 93 | 87 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 63 |
| 32°F | 141 | 133 | 127 | 122 | 116 | 111 | 105 | 99 | 89 |
| 28°F | 169 | 163 | 158 | 153 | 150 | 144 | 139 | 133 | 122 |
| 24°F | 203 | 194 | 188 | 183 | 178 | 172 | 167 | 163 | 156 |
| 20°F | 235 | 226 | 220 | 216 | 211 | 205 | 199 | 192 | 184 |
| 16°F | 262 | 256 | 250 | 244 | 240 | 235 | 230 | 224 | 214 |
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
- 100% 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
- 7,046
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 435
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,175
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,115
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,221
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,481
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 885
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,282 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,025 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 822 | 0 | 3 |
| April | 572 | 0 | 35 |
| May | 326 | 4 | 176 |
| June | 123 | 51 | 383 |
| July | 16 | 200 | 649 |
| August | 21 | 157 | 601 |
| September | 177 | 24 | 309 |
| October | 543 | 0 | 61 |
| November | 896 | 0 | 2 |
| December | 1,246 | 0 | 0 |
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 21.4 km from Oneida County. 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 USW00024151 (Malad City). Public domain.