Rose City Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lupton 1S. 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 21 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 129 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last June 3, first September 16
- Median at 32°F
- last May 21, first September 29
- Median at 28°F
- last May 7, first October 10
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Jun 23 | Jun 14 | Jun 10 | Jun 6 | Jun 3 | Jun 1 | May 28 | May 25 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Jun 5 | May 31 | May 27 | May 24 | May 21 | May 19 | May 15 | May 10 | May 5 |
| 28°F | May 23 | May 18 | May 15 | May 11 | May 7 | May 4 | Apr 30 | Apr 28 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | May 11 | May 6 | May 2 | Apr 29 | Apr 26 | Apr 23 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Apr 28 | Apr 22 | Apr 19 | Apr 16 | Apr 13 | Apr 10 | Apr 7 | Apr 4 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F | Apr 17 | Apr 12 | Apr 8 | Apr 5 | Apr 3 | Apr 1 | Mar 30 | Mar 26 | Mar 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 1 | Sep 6 | Sep 11 | Sep 14 | Sep 16 | Sep 20 | Sep 22 | Sep 25 | Sep 30 |
| 32°F | Sep 15 | Sep 20 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 29 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 11 |
| 28°F | Sep 27 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 26 |
| 24°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 10 |
| 20°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 |
| 16°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 28 | Dec 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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 123 | 117 | 113 | 109 | 104 | 99 | 93 | 88 | 76 |
| 32°F | 150 | 143 | 138 | 133 | 129 | 125 | 121 | 116 | 109 |
| 28°F | 177 | 169 | 164 | 159 | 155 | 151 | 146 | 139 | 132 |
| 24°F | 204 | 197 | 192 | 187 | 182 | 177 | 173 | 167 | 159 |
| 20°F | 229 | 221 | 216 | 212 | 208 | 205 | 200 | 195 | 187 |
| 16°F | 251 | 242 | 237 | 232 | 228 | 224 | 220 | 215 | 209 |
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
- 8,031
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 300
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 3,763
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 2,801
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 1,970
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 1,265
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 695
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,441 | 0 | 0 |
| February | 1,263 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 1,113 | 0 | 4 |
| April | 700 | 1 | 32 |
| May | 362 | 16 | 177 |
| June | 115 | 61 | 398 |
| July | 40 | 115 | 539 |
| August | 58 | 80 | 487 |
| September | 225 | 25 | 268 |
| October | 580 | 2 | 61 |
| November | 897 | 0 | 5 |
| December | 1,237 | 0 | 0 |
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 7.4 km from Rose City. 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 USC00204967 (Lupton 1S). Public domain.