Hamel climate

Hamel Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Alton - Melvin Price L&d, 26.4 km from Hamel, elevation 405 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Alton - Melvin Price L&d. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around November 5, a growing season of about 214 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 14, first October 27
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first November 5
Median at 28°F
last March 25, first November 16

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 1Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
32°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 18
28°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 13Mar 6
24°FApr 1Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 27
20°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 15
16°FMar 15Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 22Feb 16Feb 11Feb 3

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

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°F212206201197192188185179172
32°F237230223219214211206201194
28°F258251245241237232227221214
24°F279270264259255249244239231
20°F299289283278272266261256249
16°F321310302296291286279272264

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
4,780
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,424
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,665
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,349
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,168
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,121
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,205

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07404
February85509
March651364
April30322219
May91108483
June8297739
July0412877
August1362826
September35184599
October25234273
November590265
December92109

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 26.4 km from Hamel. 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 USC00110137 (Alton - Melvin Price L&d). Public domain.