Allendale climate

Allendale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Grand Haven Wwtp, 22.6 km from Allendale, elevation 605 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Grand Haven Wwtp. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 9
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first November 5

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 30May 24May 20May 17May 13May 9May 5May 2Apr 26
32°FMay 16May 12May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17
28°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8Apr 4
24°FApr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 22
20°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
16°FMar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28

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 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 25
32°FOct 5Oct 11Oct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 8
20°FNov 15Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 24
16°FNov 29Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 21Dec 24Dec 29Jan 6

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°F172164158154150145141135127
32°F194189184179175170165160151
28°F221214209204200195191186179
24°F251241235230225221216211205
20°F276269262256251246241235227
16°F297290285280275270265259250

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
6,586
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
534
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,593
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,505
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,562
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,748
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,064

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,22400
February1,08200
March964215
April593044
May27223243
June4998500
July14199649
August20155600
September12253383
October4304114
November757015
December1,05901

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 22.6 km from Allendale. 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 USC00203295 (Grand Haven Wwtp). Public domain.