Emmet County climate

Emmet County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cross Village 1E, 6.5 km from Emmet County, elevation 721 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cross Village 1E. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last May 15, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last May 1, first October 31

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 11Jun 6Jun 2May 31May 28May 25May 22May 17May 11
32°FMay 30May 26May 22May 19May 15May 11May 7May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 19May 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20
24°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 6
20°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 15Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 17

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 17Sep 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 20
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28Nov 1
28°FOct 10Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 8Nov 15
24°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 24Nov 30
20°FNov 4Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 9
16°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 14Dec 20

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°F149140134130126122117112104
32°F173165160156152148143137129
28°F199191187182178173168163154
24°F224216211207202197192187179
20°F247239235230226221216211203
16°F269260255250245240235230221

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
7,998
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
218
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,586
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,629
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,809
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,117
Growing degree days, base 60°F
573

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,39700
February1,25600
March1,13805
April759023
May4198137
June15935330
July5978484
August5970476
September21125277
October542271
November83607
December1,16400

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 6.5 km from Emmet County. 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 USC00201896 (Cross Village 1E). Public domain.