Grosse Pointe Woods climate

Grosse Pointe Woods Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Grosse Pointe Farms, 4.3 km from Grosse Pointe Woods, elevation 613 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Grosse Pointe Farms. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 176 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 10
Median at 32°F
last April 29, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 1

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 22May 18May 14May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25
32°FMay 13May 8May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 15
28°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3
24°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
20°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 21Mar 17Mar 12
16°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 8Mar 2

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 26Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24
32°FOct 7Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3
28°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 29
20°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 5Dec 13
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 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°F173168163158154150145140133
32°F194188184181176173168164155
28°F217211205201198194189185178
24°F242234229224221216212207202
20°F264256250246241236232227220
16°F289279273268263257251245237

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
6,632
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
645
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,761
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,669
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,711
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,886
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,194

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,26900
February1,09800
March963010
April583256
May27130250
June52126525
July8231688
August14184635
September11765402
October4265128
November762015
December1,07302

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 4.3 km from Grosse Pointe Woods. 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 USC00203477 (Grosse Pointe Farms). Public domain.