Ida County climate

Ida County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Battle Creek 3NE, 5.4 km from Ida County, elevation 1380 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Battle Creek 3NE. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 153 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 23
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 11

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 23May 19May 15May 12May 10May 7May 5May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 15May 9May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 18
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 30
20°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 17
16°FApr 9Apr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7

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

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°F154147143139136133129125118
32°F172165160157153149145140134
28°F190183179176171167164159152
24°F210203199194191187183178170
20°F230224218214210206202197191
16°F251243238232228223219213206

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
7,304
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
755
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,885
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,827
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,885
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,055
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,339

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,46900
February1,20801
March952119
April541591
May22251321
June31171591
July7258716
August20189634
September14475391
October4966113
November90809
December1,30600

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 5.4 km from Ida County. 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 USC00130512 (Battle Creek 3NE). Public domain.