Lansing climate

Lansing Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lynxville Dam 9, 19.2 km from Lansing, elevation 633 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lynxville Dam 9. 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 17, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 11, first October 27

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 19May 14May 11May 7May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
32°FMay 8May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Mar 30
24°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20
20°FApr 8Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 11
16°FApr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5

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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 19
20°FNov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 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°F171166162158154151146141134
32°F193187182178175171166163157
28°F215209205201197194189184177
24°F236230225220216213209204197
20°F254247242238234229226220214
16°F270263258253250246241236229

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
7,062
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
699
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,892
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,819
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,857
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,010
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,287

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,45400
February1,19700
March941014
April519383
May21138306
June33150567
July4246707
August11187642
September11968403
October4566122
November855013
December1,26201

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 19.2 km from Lansing. 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 USC00474937 (Lynxville Dam 9). Public domain.