Estherville climate

Estherville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Estherville 4E, 6.9 km from Estherville, elevation 1320 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Estherville 4E. 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 May 2 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 14

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 24May 19May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29
20°FApr 19Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 17
16°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14Mar 10

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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 29Oct 2Oct 7
32°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13Nov 18
16°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 28

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°F152146142138135132129124117
32°F171166161157153150146142134
28°F195188182177173169164160153
24°F215207203198194190185180174
20°F234226219215211207202196190
16°F251242237232227223218213205

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
7,908
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
577
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,485
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,468
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,560
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,772
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,107

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,56700
February1,28800
March1,04008
April611258
May26933262
June45138543
July12207660
August29139575
September16951344
October530699
November959011
December1,38900

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 6.9 km from Estherville. 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 USC00132724 (Estherville 4E). Public domain.