Auburn climate

Auburn Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Topeka Forbes Fld, 14 km from Auburn, elevation 1067 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Topeka Forbes Fld. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 185 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 27, first October 11
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 5, first October 31

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 11May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
32°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
28°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 15Mar 8
20°FApr 1Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18

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 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
32°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 16

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°F184178173169165161157152145
32°F204198194188185181177172164
28°F228219214209205201197192184
24°F250242236231227222217211203
20°F272263257252247243238232224
16°F293283277270265261256250244

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
4,942
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,496
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,641
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,344
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,183
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,153
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,257

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08902
February851013
March614579
April31620209
May106107470
June7307750
July0451916
August2400863
September54171568
October29133254
November636253
December97606

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 14 km from Auburn. 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 USW00013920 (Topeka Forbes Fld). Public domain.