Paxton climate

Paxton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Paxton 2 Wsw, 4 km from Paxton, elevation 758 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Paxton 2 Wsw. 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 12, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 13, 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 19May 14May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16
20°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6
16°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25

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 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
28°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 4
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 8Dec 14

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°F170164159155152148143138130
32°F190184179175170167162157149
28°F213206201196192188183177168
24°F241231225220215211207201193
20°F265256250244240234229224216
16°F284275270265260254249243234

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
6,112
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
874
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,427
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,267
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,232
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,314
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,526

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27800
February1,03603
March819133
April4457126
May16575385
June26202626
July5260721
August10210665
September92105467
October38215174
November747030
December1,10703

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 4 km from Paxton. 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 USC00116663 (Paxton 2 Wsw). Public domain.