Long Beach climate

Long Beach Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Laporte, 17.7 km from Long Beach, elevation 809 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Laporte. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 191 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first November 7

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 14May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 17
32°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
28°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 12
20°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 2
16°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 20

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 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3
20°FNov 10Nov 15Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14
16°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 13Dec 17Dec 23

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°F186180175171168165159155148
32°F209203198194191187183178171
28°F233227221217213210206201194
24°F257249243238234230225220214
20°F278269263258253248244238231
16°F296288282278273267263257249

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
6,222
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
795
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,212
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,064
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,052
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,166
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,410

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26300
February1,04402
March858123
April4856103
May20954325
June38167579
July5254715
August9212668
September9690446
October38511162
November741026
December1,09003

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 17.7 km from Long Beach. 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 USC00124837 (Laporte). Public domain.