Saugatuck climate

Saugatuck Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Holland Tulip City AP, 13.3 km from Saugatuck, elevation 689 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Holland Tulip City AP. 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 April 28 and the first fall freeze around October 21, a growing season of about 175 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 6
Median at 32°F
last April 28, first October 21
Median at 28°F
last April 16, first November 3

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 26May 21May 17May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 25
32°FMay 16May 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 13
28°FMay 3Apr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 17Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
20°FApr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7
16°FMar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24

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 21Sep 26Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 4
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 19
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 10Nov 17Nov 22Nov 27Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13Dec 20
16°FNov 22Nov 30Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14Dec 19Dec 23Dec 27Jan 2

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°F171164158154150145140134126
32°F196188183179175170166160151
28°F222215210205201197192187179
24°F251243237232227222218213206
20°F278269262257253248243238230
16°F299291285280275271265259251

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
6,333
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
631
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,851
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,732
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,751
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,906
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,194

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21400
February1,05301
March900120
April540375
May24637279
June47134537
July9215671
August15171622
September12362392
October4208131
November729022
December1,03702

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 13.3 km from Saugatuck. 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 USW00004839 (Holland Tulip City AP). Public domain.