Madison Heights climate

Madison Heights Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Detroit City AP, 11.6 km from Madison Heights, elevation 626 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Detroit City 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 April 21 and the first fall freeze around October 31, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 1, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 21, first October 31
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 9

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 18May 12May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 27Apr 23Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 12Apr 7
28°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27
24°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15
20°FApr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 9Mar 3
16°FMar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 20

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°FOct 2Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
32°FOct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 25Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7
20°FNov 14Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19
16°FNov 25Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 17Dec 21Dec 25Jan 1

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°F187181176171167163158153146
32°F208203198194190186182178171
28°F234228223218214211206201196
24°F260250245240236232228223216
20°F281272268263259255249243235
16°F302293288283278273268262255

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
6,106
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
854
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,253
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,103
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,094
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,216
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,467

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20601
February1,03601
March880118
April511484
May21347313
June33174591
July2287750
August7241699
September8991453
October38110158
November711025
December1,03802

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 11.6 km from Madison Heights. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00014822 (Detroit City AP). Public domain.