Muncie climate

Muncie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Muncie Delaware CO AP, 4.6 km from Muncie, elevation 937 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Muncie Delaware CO AP. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 16, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 5

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 8May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1
28°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 19
24°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 7
20°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 2Feb 24
16°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 26Feb 20Feb 12

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 10Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27
32°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6
28°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 23
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20
16°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15Dec 19Dec 24Dec 30

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°F188181176172168164160154145
32°F211204199194190186180176168
28°F237230224219215210205200193
24°F262254248243238234229224216
20°F287278271266261256251245238
16°F309300292286282276270264256

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
5,262
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,172
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,138
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,875
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,753
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,760
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,897

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,12705
February92708
March725353
April36218183
May124106451
June15263699
July1344807
August4275736
September67134519
October31127227
November633255
December967010

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 4.6 km from Muncie. 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 USW00094895 (Muncie Delaware CO AP). Public domain.