Streator climate

Streator Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Streator 3 Se, 3.7 km from Streator, elevation 610 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Streator 3 Se. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 8

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 8May 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
28°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6
20°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2Feb 25
16°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 13

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 1Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 5Nov 11
28°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
24°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15
16°FNov 20Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 24

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°F195189185181177173168162155
32°F218211207203199196191187181
28°F242236231226222218214210202
24°F266258253249244239234228221
20°F285277270265261257252247240
16°F303295289284279274269263255

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
5,943
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,107
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,746
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,569
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,519
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,597
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,793

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,27400
February1,03601
March805232
April4186126
May15279399
June9253694
July1357821
August3278739
September75117493
October34815188
November728124
December1,09402

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 3.7 km from Streator. 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 USC00118353 (Streator 3 Se). Public domain.