Goodrich climate

Goodrich Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Goodrich, 0.3 km from Goodrich, elevation 910 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Goodrich. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 11, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 28

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 28May 23May 19May 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 18May 13May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10
24°FApr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17
16°FApr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7

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 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24
20°FNov 5Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6
16°FNov 15Nov 20Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 13Dec 19

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°F160155150146142138134129123
32°F183177172168164160156151143
28°F207200195191187183179173166
24°F231224220216212208204199193
20°F256248243238234230225221214
16°F276268262257253249244239232

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
6,900
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
544
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,572
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,496
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,561
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,753
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,071

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31100
February1,12800
March976115
April592159
May26830259
June60109500
July19183629
August23153595
September14460372
October4656113
November788017
December1,12701

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 0.3 km from Goodrich. 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 USC00203278 (Goodrich). Public domain.