Suttons Bay climate

Suttons Bay Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Nw Michigan Rsch Farm, 10.6 km from Suttons Bay, elevation 820 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Nw Michigan Rsch 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 April 30 and the first fall freeze around November 1, a growing season of about 182 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last April 18, first November 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°FMay 27May 23May 19May 16May 13May 9May 6May 2Apr 28
32°FMay 15May 10May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21Apr 16
28°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
20°FApr 11Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 3Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 1

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°FOct 1Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
32°FOct 16Oct 22Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14
28°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27
24°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9
20°FNov 17Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 4Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 22
16°FNov 27Dec 2Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 20Dec 24Dec 30Jan 5

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°F177170165160156152148143135
32°F202195190186182179174169161
28°F228221216212208204200195187
24°F252244240236231227223218211
20°F273265259254250246241235228
16°F294286281277272267261255247

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
7,165
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
486
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,306
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,280
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,387
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,620
Growing degree days, base 60°F
978

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,30300
February1,15400
March1,041110
April670140
May33221205
June8790455
July22172615
August23142584
September14754363
October4756102
November794012
December1,11801

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 10.6 km from Suttons Bay. 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 USC00206012 (Nw Michigan Rsch Farm). Public domain.