Cutlerville climate

Cutlerville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Grand Rapids, 11.4 km from Cutlerville, elevation 778 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Grand Rapids. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 174 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 7, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 2

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 23May 18May 15May 11May 7May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 24
32°FMay 15May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
20°FApr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10
16°FMar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 17Mar 14Mar 10Mar 7Mar 1

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 26Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 4Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 8Dec 14
16°FNov 22Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 20Dec 27

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°F171164159156152149145140132
32°F195187182178174170165159151
28°F220213208204200195191185178
24°F247238233229224220216212205
20°F269262255251246242237232224
16°F289283276272267262257252244

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
6,408
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
732
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,982
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,866
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,888
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,039
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,317

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,24600
February1,07501
March910118
April528580
May22545303
June38154566
July5247707
August12200653
September11973409
October4288130
November750021
December1,07302

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 11.4 km from Cutlerville. 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 USW00094860 (Grand Rapids). Public domain.