Gladstone climate

Gladstone Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Rapid Rvr 4SSE, 6 km from Gladstone, elevation 598 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rapid Rvr 4SSE. 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 18 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 18, first October 4
Median at 28°F
last May 5, first October 17

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 12Jun 8Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 29May 26May 22May 17
32°FJun 2May 29May 25May 22May 18May 16May 12May 8May 3
28°FMay 21May 16May 12May 9May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
24°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 12
20°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 10Apr 6Apr 3
16°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25

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 5Sep 11Sep 15Sep 19Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5
32°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
28°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25Oct 28Nov 2
24°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 7

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°F13512812211811411010610193
32°F158150145141137133128123117
28°F183176171166162157153148140
24°F208201196192188184180175166
20°F230224218215211208204199193
16°F248242238234230226222217211

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
8,555
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
218
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,479
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,560
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,772
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,105
Growing degree days, base 60°F
578

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,52500
February1,34200
March1,19001
April78008
May4082130
June13833348
July4087511
August5970476
September23627256
October606041
November93202
December1,29900

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 km from Gladstone. 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 USC00206840 (Rapid Rvr 4SSE). Public domain.