Bay County climate

Bay County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Essexville, 14.1 km from Bay County, elevation 588 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Essexville. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 173 days.

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

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 9Oct 13Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2
28°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 28
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 18Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19Dec 24

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°F170163158155151147143138131
32°F192186182178173170166160153
28°F215209205201197194190185178
24°F239232226223220216212208202
20°F264255249244240235231226220
16°F284276270266260256251245238

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
6,886
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
641
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,658
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,600
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,675
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,868
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,186

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31100
February1,13500
March99807
April614355
May26139267
June53144542
July7220679
August19167614
September13059385
October4598114
November785012
December1,11601

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 14.1 km from Bay County. 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 USC00202631 (Essexville). Public domain.