McBain climate

McBain Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lake City Exp Farm, 12.8 km from McBain, elevation 1230 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lake City Exp Farm. 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 22 and the first fall freeze around September 26, a growing season of about 125 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 4, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 22, first September 26
Median at 28°F
last May 10, first October 8

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 23Jun 16Jun 11Jun 7Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 26May 21
32°FJun 6Jun 1May 28May 25May 22May 20May 16May 12May 8
28°FMay 25May 21May 17May 13May 10May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 25
24°FMay 15May 7May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
20°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2
16°FApr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 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 25Sep 1Sep 5Sep 9Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 28
32°FSep 11Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9
28°FSep 23Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 19Oct 23
24°FOct 3Oct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27Dec 3

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°F12111410910510096908371
32°F145138133129125121116111105
28°F172164159154150145141136128
24°F198192187181177172167160152
20°F223216211206203198194188181
16°F244237232228223220216211204

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
8,086
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
312
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,755
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,798
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,971
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,270
Growing degree days, base 60°F
706

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,43800
February1,26100
March1,11906
April712132
May36815177
June11266406
July45121541
August6385487
September23724258
October586261
November90604
December1,23800

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 12.8 km from McBain. 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 USC00204502 (Lake City Exp Farm). Public domain.