Tipton climate

Tipton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Tipton 5 Sw, 8.7 km from Tipton, elevation 890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Tipton 5 Sw. 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 17, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 28

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 20May 14May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 14
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3
16°FMar 29Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 19

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 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Nov 1
28°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 25
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 9
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 22

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°F171165160157153149145141134
32°F194188182178174170165161154
28°F218211207202198194190184178
24°F247237232227223218214209204
20°F270261256251246242237232223
16°F291282275270265260254249242

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
5,879
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
875
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,488
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,298
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,247
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,323
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,530

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21502
February99803
March804234
April4408127
May17270374
June25200626
July5262722
August9213670
September88103468
October36717182
November710135
December1,04605

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 8.7 km from Tipton. 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 USC00128784 (Tipton 5 Sw). Public domain.