Matteson climate

Matteson Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Park Forest, 2.9 km from Matteson, elevation 710 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Park Forest. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 30

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

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°F175169165161157153148143136
32°F198192187182179176172166159
28°F222215209205202197193187180
24°F246238233228223219215210203
20°F268260254248244239233228221
16°F288279272267263260254248239

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
6,350
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
859
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,252
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,118
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,114
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,231
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,478

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29701
February1,07002
March862224
April4937101
May21558326
June40177587
July4279739
August9226682
September9399459
October39212166
November756026
December1,11902

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 2.9 km from Matteson. 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 USC00116616 (Park Forest). Public domain.