Sandusky climate

Sandusky Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sandusky, 0.9 km from Sandusky, elevation 774 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sandusky. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 16, a growing season of about 165 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last May 2, first October 16
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 30

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 28May 24May 19May 15May 12May 9May 6May 3Apr 30
32°FMay 17May 11May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
28°FMay 6May 1Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 17Apr 12Apr 7
24°FApr 26Apr 20Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 14
16°FApr 6Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 5

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 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 19
32°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
28°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 25
20°FNov 1Nov 7Nov 11Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 9Nov 16Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 9Dec 14Dec 21

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°F164158153149144140136131125
32°F186179174170165162157152145
28°F209201197193189185180174167
24°F233225220216211207203198191
20°F256248242237232227223218210
16°F281272266260255249244239229

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
7,227
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
488
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,328
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,297
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,396
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,620
Growing degree days, base 60°F
976

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34700
February1,18900
March1,01909
April646142
May30726221
June71108488
July16173621
August32131564
September15345347
October490595
November82208
December1,13801

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 0.9 km from Sandusky. 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 USC00207350 (Sandusky). Public domain.