Palatine climate

Palatine Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Barrington 3SW, 10.7 km from Palatine, elevation 875 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Barrington 3SW. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 19
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 25May 19May 15May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 12May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7
16°FMar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28

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

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°F176169163158154150145140132
32°F196190184181177172167162152
28°F218212208204200196191185178
24°F241234229226221217214209202
20°F264256251246242237233227221
16°F282273268263259255251246238

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
6,816
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
652
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,825
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,731
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,764
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,924
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,214

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36200
February1,13101
March916117
April533484
May24439284
June53137535
July9224680
August14175626
September12767395
October4466123
November803018
December1,18001

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 10.7 km from Palatine. 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 USC00110442 (Barrington 3SW). Public domain.