Mishawaka climate

Mishawaka Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for S Bend, 8.6 km from Mishawaka, elevation 710 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for S Bend. 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 23, a growing season of about 181 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first November 3

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 18May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11
28°FApr 28Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 16Apr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 17
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 11Mar 4
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28Feb 22

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 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 9Oct 14Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 21
24°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 2
20°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 15
16°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20Dec 24

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°F178172167164161157152146140
32°F201195190185181177173168162
28°F227219213208205200196190183
24°F251243238234228224219213206
20°F274266260254250245240234226
16°F294285279273269264258252244

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
6,235
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
737
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,078
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,961
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,979
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,120
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,364

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25600
February1,06600
March86805
April495596
May19336322
June21160588
July1248712
August8202658
September9379438
October4026136
November748122
December1,08501

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 8.6 km from Mishawaka. 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 USC00128437 (S Bend). Public domain.