West Bend climate

West Bend Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Emmetsburg, 25.5 km from West Bend, elevation 1225 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Emmetsburg. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last April 27, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first October 20

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 10May 7May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 9May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11
28°FApr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
24°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
20°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14
16°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 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 15Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12
32°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
20°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 30

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°F162156152149145141138133127
32°F184177173168164160155151146
28°F205198194189185181176171165
24°F225217212208204200196191184
20°F243235230225221216212207200
16°F259251246241237233228223215

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
7,250
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
826
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,032
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,965
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,001
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,154
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,429

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49400
February1,22200
March967014
April534690
May21152324
June27189612
July4284745
August12207660
September12780410
October4598131
November885015
December1,30800

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 25.5 km from West Bend. 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 USC00132689 (Emmetsburg). Public domain.