Beech Grove climate

Beech Grove Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Indianapolis Se Side, 2 km from Beech Grove, elevation 845 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Indianapolis Se Side. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 1

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 17May 11May 7May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 16
32°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
28°FApr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25
24°FApr 11Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 16

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 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 24
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 16Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 15Dec 20Dec 26

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°F182175170165161158154149142
32°F203196192187183179175170163
28°F225219214210205201197192185
24°F252243238233229224220214207
20°F278269263257252247242237229
16°F299291284278274269264258250

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
5,704
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
947
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,665
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,458
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,384
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,436
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,621

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19202
February96904
March774244
April41210148
May15674391
June23210638
July4284746
August7242700
September80108480
October35515190
November701035
December1,03205

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 km from Beech Grove. 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 USC00124272 (Indianapolis Se Side). Public domain.