Fruitport climate

Fruitport Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Muskegon CO AP, 7.9 km from Fruitport, elevation 625 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Muskegon CO 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 12, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 19, 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 27May 23May 18May 15May 12May 8May 5May 1Apr 28
32°FMay 18May 12May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17
28°FMay 7Apr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22
20°FApr 8Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10
16°FMar 30Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 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 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19
32°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 17Oct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 19
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 26Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 16Dec 22
16°FNov 30Dec 3Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 20Dec 24Dec 29Jan 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°F168161156152148143139134127
32°F192184179175170166162156147
28°F221213208202198193188182173
24°F250242237232227223218213203
20°F276268263256252248243239229
16°F297290284279275271266260252

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
6,297
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
651
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,850
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,733
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,760
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,918
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,213

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,19000
February1,04601
March909115
April550266
May25233270
June50124524
July9223679
August13191643
September11670407
October4137133
November722021
December1,02801

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 7.9 km from Fruitport. 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 USW00014840 (Muskegon CO AP). Public domain.