Hoffman Estates climate

Hoffman Estates Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Streamwood, 8.3 km from Hoffman Estates, elevation 819 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Streamwood. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 163 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 13
Median at 28°F
last April 20, first October 24

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

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°F161155150147143140135129124
32°F182176172167163159156151143
28°F205197193188184180176171163
24°F227221216212208204200195187
20°F250243238233229225220215209
16°F271263258253248244239233225

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
6,462
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
879
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,220
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,100
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,102
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,229
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,488

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30201
February1,08101
March884120
April510699
May21449314
June39194606
July5289749
August9235691
September10193446
October40812153
November773020
December1,13803

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 8.3 km from Hoffman Estates. 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 USC00118324 (Streamwood). Public domain.