Fisher climate

Fisher Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gibson City, 17.6 km from Fisher, elevation 750 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gibson 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 178 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 28

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 16May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30
24°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 8Mar 2
16°FMar 27Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 21

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 12
24°FOct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 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°F175169165161158154150146139
32°F195189185181178174170166159
28°F220211207203200196192187180
24°F244235230225221218214209204
20°F268260254249244239235229223
16°F290281275269264259254248239

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
6,099
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
908
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,450
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,294
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,262
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,342
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,555

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27101
February1,03302
March814032
April4478124
May16668376
June25211636
July3275738
August8228685
September90104469
October39213167
November747029
December1,10403

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 17.6 km from Fisher. 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 USC00113413 (Gibson City). Public domain.