Cadillac climate

Cadillac Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cadillac, 1.6 km from Cadillac, elevation 1295 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cadillac. 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 19 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 135 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 19, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 13

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 14Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 28May 24May 21May 16
32°FJun 3May 29May 24May 22May 19May 16May 11May 7May 2
28°FMay 21May 16May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21
24°FMay 10May 3Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 8
20°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18

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 8Sep 13Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 30Oct 4
32°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 26Oct 31
24°FOct 10Oct 17Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
20°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 28
16°FNov 6Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 3Dec 8

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°F1331261201161121071029586
32°F159150144139135131127121113
28°F185177171166160156152146137
24°F211203197193188183178172164
20°F234228222217214210206201193
16°F254247243237233229225220214

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
7,852
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
401
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,954
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,981
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,137
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,418
Growing degree days, base 60°F
830

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,41000
February1,22900
March1,09807
April697135
May34921197
June9886441
July36149578
August57105513
September21636288
October566372
November88407
December1,21200

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 1.6 km from Cadillac. 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 USW00014817 (Cadillac). Public domain.