Madison climate

Madison Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Emporia Muni AP, 22.1 km from Madison, elevation 1209 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Emporia Muni AP. 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 193 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 2, 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 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 8
32°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2Mar 29
28°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16
24°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
20°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24
16°FMar 19Mar 13Mar 9Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 21Feb 14

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 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26
32°FOct 9Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 4
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16
24°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 3Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
16°FNov 11Nov 18Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 20

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°F191184180175171167163157151
32°F213207201197193189185179171
28°F233227221217213209204199192
24°F256249243237233228223217211
20°F279270264258254249242236229
16°F302291284280274268263257247

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
4,793
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,433
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,655
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,336
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,154
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,109
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,202

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,05403
February830013
March607476
April30720215
May98100469
June7284727
July0434899
August1389852
September48168571
October27533263
November614260
December95307

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 22.1 km from Madison. 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 USW00013989 (Emporia Muni AP). Public domain.