Marquette climate

Marquette Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kanopolis Lake, 12.4 km from Marquette, elevation 1492 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kanopolis Lake. 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 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 29, first October 13
Median at 32°F
last April 19, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last April 7, 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 11May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 14
32°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
28°FApr 24Apr 19Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
24°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 11
20°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
16°FMar 28Mar 19Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 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 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 8Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 5
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 10Nov 15
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 3Nov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 26Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 18

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°F183178173170166162157153146
32°F205198192188184180176171163
28°F227219214210205201197191183
24°F248240235230225221216210203
20°F270262255251246241236230220
16°F292284276271266261255249241

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
5,105
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,432
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,452
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,168
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,031
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,033
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,167

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06801
February87209
March659261
April36912169
May13388426
June10297738
July1447911
August2380843
September58174567
October29130254
November653148
December98903

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 12.4 km from Marquette. 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 USC00144178 (Kanopolis Lake). Public domain.