Kalkaska climate

Kalkaska Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Kalkaska, 0.7 km from Kalkaska, elevation 1035 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Kalkaska. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 128 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 5, first September 17
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 10, first October 12

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 28Jun 19Jun 13Jun 9Jun 5Jun 2May 31May 27May 23
32°FJun 7Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 22May 18May 14May 7
28°FMay 26May 22May 18May 14May 10May 6May 2Apr 28Apr 24
24°FMay 14May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
20°FApr 30Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 4Apr 1
16°FApr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 22

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°FAug 30Sep 4Sep 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 24Sep 27Oct 1Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 14
28°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 31
24°FOct 11Oct 18Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 13
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 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°F12211510910510095898272
32°F151143138132128124119114104
28°F179171166161157152146141133
24°F206199193189184179174169160
20°F229222217213209205201197188
16°F252244238234229226222218211

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
8,288
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
318
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,694
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,757
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,946
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,255
Growing degree days, base 60°F
702

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,45500
February1,29500
March1,16806
April745131
May38720179
June12768398
July57115524
August7483474
September23828263
October585365
November91106
December1,24800

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 0.7 km from Kalkaska. 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 USC00204257 (Kalkaska). Public domain.