Elkhart climate

Elkhart Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Elkhart, 0.4 km from Elkhart, elevation 3599 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Elkhart. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 186 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 8, 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 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 15
32°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5
28°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 29Mar 22
24°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14Mar 8
20°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 25Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 25Mar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 18Feb 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25
32°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
24°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
16°FNov 12Nov 19Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 8Dec 12Dec 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°F185178174170167163158154148
32°F206199194191186182178173165
28°F228222216211207203199194187
24°F251243238233227223218212204
20°F275266260255250244238231223
16°F299291282277272266260252242

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
4,659
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,425
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,645
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,297
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,107
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,071
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,180

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January94504
February774014
March600272
April34212190
May11996450
June10300741
July1440904
August3375837
September51175578
October28525253
November608160
December92006

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 0.4 km from Elkhart. 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 USC00142432 (Elkhart). Public domain.