Manly Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Northwood. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 152 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 13, first September 25
- Median at 32°F
- last May 4, first October 4
- Median at 28°F
- last April 24, first October 13
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 27 | May 22 | May 18 | May 15 | May 13 | May 10 | May 8 | May 5 | May 1 |
| 32°F | May 16 | May 12 | May 9 | May 6 | May 4 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 25 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | May 7 | May 2 | Apr 30 | Apr 26 | Apr 24 | Apr 21 | Apr 17 | Apr 14 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Apr 28 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 14 | Apr 10 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Apr 20 | Apr 14 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Apr 2 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F | Apr 12 | Apr 6 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 29 | Mar 25 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 12 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 13 | Sep 17 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 |
| 32°F | Sep 20 | Sep 25 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 1 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 |
| 24°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 20°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 16°F | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 151 | 145 | 140 | 137 | 133 | 130 | 126 | 122 | 116 |
| 32°F | 169 | 162 | 158 | 154 | 152 | 148 | 144 | 140 | 135 |
| 28°F | 190 | 184 | 179 | 176 | 172 | 167 | 163 | 159 | 153 |
| 24°F | 209 | 203 | 199 | 195 | 191 | 188 | 184 | 180 | 173 |
| 20°F | 230 | 221 | 216 | 213 | 208 | 205 | 201 | 197 | 191 |
| 16°F | 247 | 240 | 235 | 230 | 227 | 223 | 218 | 214 | 206 |
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
- 8,378
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 392
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 4,071
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 3,091
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 2,225
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,479
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 858
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,626 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,348 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,101 | 0 | 7 |
| April | 652 | 1 | 45 |
| May | 312 | 21 | 216 |
| June | 67 | 95 | 479 |
| July | 22 | 146 | 589 |
| August | 47 | 93 | 511 |
| September | 203 | 33 | 298 |
| October | 589 | 3 | 73 |
| November | 999 | 0 | 6 |
| December | 1,414 | 0 | 0 |
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 17 km from Manly. 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 USC00136103 (Northwood). Public domain.