Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mcpherson, 15.9 km from Canton, elevation 1520 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mcpherson. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 187 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 28, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 18, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 6, first November 1

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

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°F189182176172168164159155148
32°F209203197192187183178173165
28°F229221216211207204199194186
24°F250243237232226221215210202
20°F272264257252247241236230221
16°F295285278273267263256249240

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
4,957
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,592
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,709
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,409
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,256
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,239
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,352

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06301
February85109
March639264
April34813182
May116105458
June7326769
July1483947
August1420883
September42206615
October27038274
November635149
December98403

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 15.9 km from Canton. 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 USC00145152 (Mcpherson). Public domain.