Kingsley climate

Kingsley Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fife Lake 2WNW, 13.5 km from Kingsley, elevation 1052 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fife Lake 2WNW. 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 130 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 24, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 9, first October 14

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 26Jun 17Jun 11Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 27May 22
32°FJun 6Jun 2May 30May 27May 24May 22May 18May 14May 7
28°FMay 25May 21May 17May 13May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 25
24°FMay 15May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15
20°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 3
16°FApr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23

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 2Sep 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2
32°FSep 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 29Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25Oct 31
24°FOct 13Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 27
16°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 9

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°F125118113109105101968979
32°F151144139134130126122116109
28°F177170165160156152147141133
24°F203196191187183179174168160
20°F229222216211208204200194188
16°F250244238234229226221217210

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
8,270
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
280
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,681
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,754
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,940
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,233
Growing degree days, base 60°F
668

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,46700
February1,27400
March1,17500
April752026
May3899171
June11250392
July54113524
August6778476
September21930280
October582164
November91708
December1,26300

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 13.5 km from Kingsley. 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 USC00202783 (Fife Lake 2WNW). Public domain.