Pulaski County climate

Pulaski County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Winamac 2SSE, 9.6 km from Pulaski County, elevation 690 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Winamac 2SSE. 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 25 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 25, first October 18
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 29

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 23May 16May 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22
32°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11
28°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
24°FApr 16Apr 12Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19
20°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6
16°FMar 29Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 1Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
28°FOct 16Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 11Nov 19Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 21

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°F171165161157153148145140133
32°F193187182177173169166161153
28°F218210205201198194189184177
24°F243235230225221217213208201
20°F266258252247242238233227219
16°F287278273268263258252246239

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
6,217
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
819
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,280
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,132
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,113
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,217
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,451

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26601
February1,05602
March849128
April4727114
May19262349
June32183602
July5255715
August10203659
September9893448
October38714168
November749027
December1,10003

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 9.6 km from Pulaski County. 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 USC00129670 (Winamac 2SSE). Public domain.