Augusta climate

Augusta Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Battle Creek 5NW, 8.1 km from Augusta, elevation 923 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Battle Creek 5NW. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 158 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 26, first October 25

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 3May 29May 25May 21May 18May 15May 11May 7May 1
32°FMay 23May 18May 14May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 13May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15Apr 9
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 20Apr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 9Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 6

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 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 14
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 29
28°FOct 6Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 21Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 17Nov 25
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6
16°FNov 12Nov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 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°F159151146140137132127122114
32°F180172167163158153148143136
28°F205197191186181176171165156
24°F230221215210206201195190181
20°F256248242236231225220215206
16°F279270264258254250244238229

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
6,378
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
653
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,950
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,826
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,829
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,962
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,229

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24601
February1,06701
March880123
April502696
May21147317
June41142551
July13215666
August21171615
September13066391
October4196139
November753026
December1,09402

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 8.1 km from Augusta. 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 USC00200552 (Battle Creek 5NW). Public domain.