Escanaba climate

Escanaba Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Escanaba, 3.7 km from Escanaba, elevation 590 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Escanaba. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 147 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 29
Median at 32°F
last May 13, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 20

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 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 23May 20May 17May 12
32°FMay 31May 24May 20May 17May 13May 10May 7May 3Apr 30
28°FMay 16May 10May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19
24°FMay 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6
20°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28
16°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19

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 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20
28°FOct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
24°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 16
20°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 9Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5

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°F142135131127123119115110102
32°F166160155151147143139133126
28°F191184178174171166162158151
24°F217210205201196192188184178
20°F238231226222218214210206199
16°F252245241237233230226222216

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
8,498
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
208
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,407
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,499
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,718
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,061
Growing degree days, base 60°F
547

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,49300
February1,31600
March1,16900
April79906
May451091
June15829324
July4592511
August5668477
September22219262
October605142
November90603
December1,27900

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 3.7 km from Escanaba. 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 USW00014824 (Escanaba). Public domain.