Taylor climate

Taylor Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Detroit Metro AP, 5.1 km from Taylor, elevation 631 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Detroit Metro 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 20 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 188 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 20, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last April 8, first November 7

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 18May 12May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 18
32°FMay 8May 2Apr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 6
28°FApr 24Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 27
24°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 14
20°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 22Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 4
16°FMar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22

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 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29
32°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 9
28°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 22
24°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 5
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 19
16°FNov 22Nov 30Dec 2Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 18Dec 22Dec 26

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°F186178174169165161156151146
32°F207201196192188184180174167
28°F232225221216212208204199193
24°F257249244239235231226222216
20°F277271265260256251246241234
16°F300290284279275271265259250

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
6,067
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
847
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,293
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,134
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,114
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,227
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,469

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,21701
February1,03601
March861120
April488593
May19850329
June28177599
July2283746
August7233691
September9190450
October38210157
November713026
December1,04603

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 5.1 km from Taylor. 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 USW00094847 (Detroit Metro AP). Public domain.