Dimondale climate

Dimondale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for East Lansing 4 S, 13.8 km from Dimondale, elevation 880 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for East Lansing 4 S. 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 28 and the first fall freeze around October 17, a growing season of about 173 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 17
Median at 28°F
last April 15, first October 30

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 27May 22May 17May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 23
32°FMay 16May 9May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
28°FMay 1Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18
20°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 8
16°FMar 31Mar 25Mar 22Mar 18Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28

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 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
32°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23Nov 29
20°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 16Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 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°F172164158154149145139134127
32°F194187182178173169164158150
28°F219211207202198194190184175
24°F244237231226223219214209202
20°F268260254249244240236230222
16°F289280275269265260255249239

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
6,411
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
707
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,972
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,849
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,868
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,012
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,289

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25101
February1,07501
March898115
April531686
May22447306
June45150555
July8228685
August15188639
September11878415
October42710139
November744023
December1,07603

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 13.8 km from Dimondale. 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 USC00202395 (East Lansing 4 S). Public domain.