Ferdinand climate

Ferdinand Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Saint Meinrad, 8.1 km from Ferdinand, elevation 510 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Saint Meinrad. 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 11 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 197 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 23, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 4

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 9May 4May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
32°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27
28°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 13
24°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14
16°FMar 16Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28Feb 24Feb 20Feb 13Feb 8Feb 2

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 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 7
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 22
24°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 18
16°FNov 18Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9Dec 14Dec 20Dec 25Jan 2

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°F196190184180176171168163156
32°F218211206201197193188181174
28°F246235230224220216212206199
24°F269262255249244239234228220
20°F296286278272267262256249240
16°F320309302294289282276270261

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
4,205
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,337
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,891
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,496
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,243
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,128
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,158

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January950013
February744024
March552493
April25430262
May76110500
June7272715
July0361826
August1337801
September32180599
October22638301
November534390
December831020

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 8.1 km from Ferdinand. 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 USC00127724 (Saint Meinrad). Public domain.