Eagle Lake climate

Eagle Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ft Kent, 22.2 km from Eagle Lake, elevation 610 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ft Kent. 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 May 23 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 121 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 23, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 9, first October 3

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°FJun 17Jun 13Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 28May 24
32°FJun 6Jun 2May 29May 26May 23May 20May 16May 12May 8
28°FMay 23May 17May 13May 11May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28
24°FMay 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
20°FApr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6
16°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1

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°FAug 31Sep 4Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25
32°FSep 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5
28°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Nov 1
20°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
16°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23

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°F11611110610310095918679
32°F139134129125121118114110102
28°F166159155151147144140136128
24°F190182178174170166163159153
20°F211206201197193190186182174
16°F230224220216212209205200193

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
10,015
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
149
Growing degree days, base 40°F
2,978
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,142
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,431
Growing degree days, base 55°F
848
Growing degree days, base 60°F
412

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,77100
February1,54100
March1,36601
April88704
May487494
June20427280
July7264457
August10843400
September33111173
October718020
November1,04101
December1,49000

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 22.2 km from Eagle Lake. 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 USC00172878 (Ft Kent). Public domain.