Grand Traverse County climate

Grand Traverse County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Traverse City Cherry Cptl AP, 3.7 km from Grand Traverse County, elevation 618 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Traverse City Cherry Cptl 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 May 12 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 25, first October 2
Median at 32°F
last May 12, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 30

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 5Jun 2May 30May 28May 25May 22May 19May 15May 9
32°FMay 27May 22May 19May 15May 12May 9May 5Apr 30Apr 26
28°FMay 16May 10May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20
16°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 12

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 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 16
32°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Nov 1
28°FOct 12Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13
24°FOct 28Nov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 11
16°FNov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 9Dec 15Dec 19Dec 25

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°F150144139135130127123118112
32°F177169164159155150146141135
28°F203196190186182177173168160
24°F229222217213209205201195187
20°F258249244239234230225220213
16°F276270264259255250246240232

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
7,104
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
534
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,368
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,333
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,441
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,673
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,031

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,29700
February1,15200
March1,018110
April651243
May32727211
June83101469
July20186631
August25153594
September15358362
October4757106
November789015
December1,11401

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 Grand Traverse 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 USW00014850 (Traverse City Cherry Cptl AP). Public domain.