Newaygo County climate

Newaygo County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hesperia 4 Wnw, 24.9 km from Newaygo County, elevation 780 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hesperia 4 Wnw. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 1, a growing season of about 137 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 30, first September 19
Median at 32°F
last May 17, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last May 4, 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 20Jun 8Jun 5Jun 1May 30May 27May 23May 20May 14
32°FJun 1May 28May 24May 20May 17May 13May 9May 5Apr 30
28°FMay 23May 16May 11May 7May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20
24°FMay 11May 4Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 7
20°FApr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 27
16°FApr 15Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 16

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 3Sep 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 27Oct 1Oct 5
32°FSep 14Sep 20Sep 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22Oct 28
24°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 12
20°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 28
16°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11

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°F1371291221171131081029685
32°F158151145140137131126121113
28°F183176170165161156150145137
24°F210202196191186182177171162
20°F237229224219215210205199189
16°F260253247243238234229223216

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
7,287
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
425
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,169
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,147
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,261
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,504
Growing degree days, base 60°F
883

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,31900
February1,16200
March1,018112
April634146
May32421209
June8889453
July30146581
August39119546
September17844325
October523482
November83006
December1,14501

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 24.9 km from Newaygo County. 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 USC00203769 (Hesperia 4 Wnw). Public domain.