Fruitland climate

Fruitland Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Muscatine, 7.4 km from Fruitland, elevation 549 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Muscatine. 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 14, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 23

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 18May 13May 9May 6May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20
32°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22Mar 16
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 5
16°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26

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 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25
28°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4
24°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
20°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6

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°F173166162158154150147143136
32°F192185180176172168163158151
28°F212206201196192188184179171
24°F234227221216213208204199191
20°F254248242238234230226220213
16°F274267261257252248244239231

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
6,214
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
968
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,549
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,394
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,357
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,434
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,634

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33100
February1,07402
March809233
April42310138
May15772388
June17213646
July2306769
August7244702
September88107472
October38215177
November771027
December1,15302

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 7.4 km from Fruitland. 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 USC00135837 (Muscatine). Public domain.