Danforth climate

Danforth Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Piper City, 18.6 km from Danforth, elevation 670 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Piper 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 April 25 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 31

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 19May 14May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 10May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
16°FMar 28Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 23

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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 2Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18

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°F173167162158154151146142136
32°F196189184180175171167163155
28°F218211206203200195190185178
24°F242234229225221216212208201
20°F264257251246241237232227220
16°F286277271265261255250245237

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
5,770
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,037
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,746
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,553
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,486
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,537
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,716

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,23001
February99403
March784241
April41210141
May15176398
June20245675
July2323786
August6248707
September74113491
October33720203
November701137
December1,05905

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 18.6 km from Danforth. 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 USC00116819 (Piper City). Public domain.