Climax climate

Climax Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Battle Creek Kellogg AP, 10.4 km from Climax, elevation 928 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Battle Creek Kellogg 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 19, 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 25May 20May 17May 13May 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 24
32°FMay 17May 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16
28°FMay 6Apr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 19Apr 15Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 18Mar 13
16°FMar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 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°FSep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20
32°FOct 3Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Nov 2
28°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 27
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 17Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17Dec 23

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°F169162157153149145140134126
32°F191183179174170166161157149
28°F214207203199195191186180173
24°F241232226222218213209204198
20°F265256250245240235231225218
16°F285277272266262257253247238

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
6,409
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
715
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,013
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,890
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,899
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,038
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,306

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26201
February1,08101
March893122
April515487
May21844310
June38155567
July6238697
August12193646
September11871407
October4249136
November758021
December1,08703

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 10.4 km from Climax. 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 USW00014815 (Battle Creek Kellogg AP). Public domain.