Baraga climate

Baraga Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Herman, 15.2 km from Baraga, elevation 1717 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Herman. 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 31 and the first fall freeze around September 22, a growing season of about 115 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 31, first September 22
Median at 28°F
last May 14, first October 6

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 17Jun 10Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 27May 24May 18May 12
28°FJun 1May 26May 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 4Apr 29
24°FMay 18May 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 18
20°FMay 7May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
16°FApr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2

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°F–––––––––
32°FSep 4Sep 10Sep 15Sep 18Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 4Oct 9
28°FSep 17Sep 23Sep 29Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18Oct 23
24°FSep 30Oct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 16Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25

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°F11010296908478726150
32°F1391311251201151101059786
28°F167159153147143138133127119
24°F191184178173168164158151141
20°F210203199194189185180175168
16°F230222217213209205200195188

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
9,518
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
187
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,140
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,285
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,543
Growing degree days, base 55°F
932
Growing degree days, base 60°F
475

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,61500
February1,40000
March1,26803
April854016
May45412139
June18737312
July9771439
August13049386
September31116201
October693144
November1,07103
December1,43800

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 15.2 km from Baraga. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00203744 (Herman). Public domain.