Albia climate

Albia Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albia 3 Nne, 4.6 km from Albia, elevation 880 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albia 3 Nne. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 12, first October 26

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 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13Apr 8
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 29
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18
20°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1

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 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 18
32°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6
24°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 18
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 30
16°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8

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°F172166161157153149144139131
32°F192187181177173169164159150
28°F214209203199195191187181174
24°F237229223218214211207201195
20°F257248242237233228224219212
16°F276267261256251246241235228

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
6,336
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
899
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,399
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,244
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,213
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,311
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,534

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,32500
February1,08203
March828133
April4547118
May18552343
June24186612
July3298759
August9244700
September10597446
October39915168
November773029
December1,15002

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 Albia. 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 USC00130112 (Albia 3 Nne). Public domain.