Dieterich climate

Dieterich Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Newton, 18.7 km from Dieterich, elevation 531 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Newton. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 1

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 14May 6May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
32°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16
24°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 9Mar 3
20°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 27Feb 22
16°FMar 18Mar 13Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 22Feb 16Feb 8

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 28Oct 2Oct 6Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 9Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 14Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 19Dec 25

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°F187182177173168164160155147
32°F209203198195190186182177169
28°F236227222218214210206201194
24°F260252246241237232227221215
20°F284275269264259253248242235
16°F307297290284279274268262253

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
5,036
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,234
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,302
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,019
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,875
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,864
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,982

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,10004
February87507
March671358
April33116195
May11399454
June9268709
July1360825
August2311773
September53147545
October29129243
November634153
December95608

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 18.7 km from Dieterich. 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 USC00116157 (Newton). Public domain.