Battle Ground climate

Battle Ground Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for W Lafayette 6 Nw, 13.2 km from Battle Ground, elevation 708 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for W Lafayette 6 Nw. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 169 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 6, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 25

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 20May 15May 11May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
32°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
28°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 1
24°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 9Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 16Mar 13Mar 6
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 26

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 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 15
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27
28°FOct 8Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
24°FOct 21Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16Nov 22
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 30Dec 6
16°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 17

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°F167160155151147143139135128
32°F189182177173169164159154147
28°F211205200194190186181175168
24°F239230224219214210205199191
20°F264256249244240235230224216
16°F285275270265260255250244237

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
6,111
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
826
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,356
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,190
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,154
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,242
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,463

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26001
February1,03203
March825235
April4519127
May17871371
June27194617
July7247705
August14196648
September10492442
October38815169
November734133
December1,09104

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 13.2 km from Battle Ground. 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 USC00129430 (W Lafayette 6 Nw). Public domain.