Kentland climate

Kentland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kentland, 1.5 km from Kentland, elevation 695 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kentland. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 5
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 11, 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 21May 14May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
28°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 29
28°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 9
24°FOct 20Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 2
16°FNov 8Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 14

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°F173167162158154150146141134
32°F194187182178175170166161153
28°F215208203198195191187182174
24°F238230225221217213209204195
20°F261253247242237233228223215
16°F280271266261256252246241232

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
5,957
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
900
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,507
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,331
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,284
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,349
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,551

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24601
February1,02502
March790135
April43812132
May16081396
June28208630
July3266728
August8217674
September93102462
October36514184
November720036
December1,08303

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 1.5 km from Kentland. 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 USC00124527 (Kentland). Public domain.