Canton climate

Canton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Detroit Willow Run AP, 9.4 km from Canton, elevation 777 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Detroit Willow Run AP. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 24, a growing season of about 179 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 24
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first November 4

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 21May 16May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 11May 5Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
28°FApr 28Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
24°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
20°FApr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5
16°FMar 26Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 8Mar 5Mar 1Feb 23

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 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
28°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1
20°FNov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 17
16°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 26

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°F178170165161157154149145136
32°F199193187184179175170165158
28°F225218213208204200196189183
24°F251243238233229226222217211
20°F273266261256251247242237230
16°F297289280276272267262256249

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
5,866
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
942
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,498
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,312
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,267
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,360
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,584

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18901
February1,01203
March829125
April4645105
May18361353
June25203628
July2306769
August6251710
September84101468
October36614172
November687031
December1,01804

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 9.4 km from Canton. 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 USW00014853 (Detroit Willow Run AP). Public domain.