Big Stone County climate

Big Stone County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Artichoke Lake 1 E, 22.7 km from Big Stone County, elevation 1098 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Artichoke Lake 1 E. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 159 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 30
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 21, first October 19

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 23May 18May 15May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 14May 10May 6May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5May 1Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7
24°FApr 27Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 21
16°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14

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 18Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11
32°FSep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1
24°FOct 12Oct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 24Oct 28Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 17Nov 21Nov 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°F159153149146142139135130124
32°F177171167163159156153148142
28°F199192186182178174170165159
24°F216210206201197193189184176
20°F234226221217213210207202193
16°F247240235231227223219214208

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
8,021
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
682
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,649
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,636
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,727
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,921
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,236

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,61800
February1,33800
March1,08505
April598263
May23641294
June40148558
July8240697
August20178623
September14767378
October5286100
November97507
December1,42900

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 22.7 km from Big Stone County. 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 USC00210287 (Artichoke Lake 1 E). Public domain.