Houghton Lake climate

Houghton Lake Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Houghton Lake 2NW, 0.8 km from Houghton Lake, elevation 1161 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Houghton Lake 2NW. 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 136 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 1, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 6, first October 15

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 20Jun 13Jun 8Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 26May 23May 17
32°FJun 3May 29May 26May 23May 20May 17May 12May 7May 2
28°FMay 23May 18May 13May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
24°FMay 11May 5May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
20°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
16°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21

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 1Sep 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 3
32°FSep 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 16
28°FSep 30Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 13Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 29Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 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°F1311241191151101061019483
32°F159150145141136131127121114
28°F183175170165161157151146139
24°F207200194190186182176172163
20°F231224219214210206202196190
16°F253246241236232227223219213

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
7,976
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
337
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,860
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,892
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,050
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,331
Growing degree days, base 60°F
748

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,42700
February1,26000
March1,11219
April704135
May35416185
June10872417
July43128550
August5289502
September21427280
October570469
November89304
December1,24001

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 0.8 km from Houghton Lake. 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 USC00203930 (Houghton Lake 2NW). Public domain.