Whitestown climate

Whitestown Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Whitestown, 0.7 km from Whitestown, elevation 941 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Whitestown. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 180 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 8
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 31

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 17May 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 25
24°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 11
20°FApr 2Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 1
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 17

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 21
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 12Dec 19

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°F179172166163159155150144137
32°F200193188184180176171166159
28°F226219213208204200195190182
24°F252244238233228225220215207
20°F273266259254249244239234226
16°F293283277271267262257250243

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
5,617
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
896
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,680
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,459
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,371
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,409
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,579

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19202
February95805
March750145
April38511162
May14575402
June20200630
July4267728
August8221679
September80104476
October34315197
November693039
December1,04205

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 0.7 km from Whitestown. 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 USC00129557 (Whitestown). Public domain.