Minden climate

Minden Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Oakland, 22.4 km from Minden, elevation 1260 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Oakland. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 25

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 14May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20
32°FMay 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 20
20°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 9
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 2

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 20Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
24°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 29Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
20°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 28
16°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5

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°F173167162158155151147144137
32°F193186181178174169165160154
28°F213207202197193189185181174
24°F231223218214210206201197189
20°F251243238233228223218213206
16°F269262256251246242237231223

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
6,555
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
914
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,354
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,224
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,216
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,322
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,553

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,36600
February1,11202
March846131
April4767114
May18558352
June22202630
July4294755
August9240696
September107100448
October40712166
November815023
December1,20601

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 22.4 km from Minden. 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 USC00136151 (Oakland). Public domain.