Fishers climate

Fishers Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Carmel 3 E, 3.9 km from Fishers, elevation 752 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Carmel 3 E. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 8, 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 16May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 8May 2Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 5
28°FApr 26Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 12Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Feb 28
16°FMar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 14

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 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 13
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 13Dec 19Dec 25

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°F181174170166162159155149143
32°F204197191187183179174169160
28°F227220214209206202198192184
24°F253245238234230225221216210
20°F275266261256252247242236227
16°F299290283278273267261255246

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
5,758
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
920
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,594
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,393
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,326
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,391
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,587

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18902
February97705
March790238
April42510139
May17063370
June21199628
July3290752
August5241701
September78102476
October36414179
November701033
December1,03506

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 3.9 km from Fishers. 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 USC00121303 (Carmel 3 E). Public domain.