Fowler climate

Fowler Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Meade, 17.3 km from Fowler, elevation 2504 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Meade. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 183 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 9, first October 29

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

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 25Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23
32°FOct 5Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1
28°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21
20°FOct 31Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 4
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8Dec 17

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°F183176171168164160156150144
32°F203197192187183179175170164
28°F224217212208202198193188181
24°F247239232226222218213207200
20°F268259254249244239233227217
16°F290281274268263259253246237

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
4,924
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,474
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,519
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,226
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,077
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,074
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,211

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,01401
February82908
March634155
April3688157
May11696451
June7289732
July1461925
August1407871
September46189595
October29223238
November653141
December96402

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 17.3 km from Fowler. 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 USC00145171 (Meade). Public domain.