Cold Spring climate

Cold Spring Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Collegeville St John's, 14 km from Cold Spring, elevation 1210 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Collegeville St John's. 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 3 and the first fall freeze around October 7, a growing season of about 155 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 28
Median at 32°F
last May 3, first October 7
Median at 28°F
last April 24, first October 18

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 23May 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 17May 12May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 7May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 24
16°FApr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15

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 17Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19
28°FOct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 14Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 20
16°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 28

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°F155149145141138134129125118
32°F172167162159155152148144137
28°F194188184180176172168163157
24°F214207203199196192188183177
20°F230224218214211207203199193
16°F246239234229225221217212206

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
8,305
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
506
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,283
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,297
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,418
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,651
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,007

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,63400
February1,34500
March1,10205
April643148
May28425241
June62100488
July13194646
August27139577
September17644329
October566379
November1,00506
December1,44800

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 14 km from Cold Spring. 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 USC00211691 (Collegeville St John's). Public domain.