Manistee climate

Manistee Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Manistee 3SE, 4.4 km from Manistee, elevation 670 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Manistee 3SE. 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 14 and the first fall freeze around October 12, a growing season of about 151 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 27, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 14, first October 12
Median at 28°F
last April 30, 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°FJun 13Jun 5Jun 3May 31May 27May 24May 21May 17May 9
32°FMay 31May 26May 22May 18May 14May 10May 5May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 21May 15May 8May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 15
24°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
16°FApr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 25Mar 21Mar 18Mar 14Mar 7

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 13Sep 19Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9Oct 15
32°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 21Oct 26Nov 1
28°FOct 11Oct 17Oct 22Oct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 14
24°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Dec 1
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 3Dec 7Dec 14
16°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 29

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°F14914013413012512111510999
32°F177169161157151146142136127
28°F206199193187182177171164154
24°F235227221216212207202195186
20°F262253246241237232226220212
16°F284275269264259254249243233

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
6,848
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
493
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,420
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,357
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,434
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,644
Growing degree days, base 60°F
987

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,25900
February1,09600
March971114
April609257
May30626228
June8889454
July30167602
August36141571
September14561373
October4527118
November764017
December1,09301

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 4.4 km from Manistee. 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 USC00205065 (Manistee 3SE). Public domain.