Eden Prairie climate

Eden Prairie Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Mpls Flying Cloud AP, 2.5 km from Eden Prairie, elevation 907 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Mpls Flying Cloud 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 14, a growing season of about 172 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 3, first October 4
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 14
Median at 28°F
last April 13, first October 25

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 16May 11May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 21
32°FMay 6May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 26Apr 22Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
24°FApr 19Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 22
20°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13
16°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7

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 20Sep 25Sep 29Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
32°FSep 28Oct 3Oct 6Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 28
28°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
24°FOct 20Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 18
20°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 21Nov 26
16°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 22Nov 25Nov 28Dec 1

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°F170165160156152148145140132
32°F191184180176172168164159152
28°F213206201197193190186181174
24°F231224220215211207203198192
20°F248240236232228223219214209
16°F262254249246241238233228221

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
7,430
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
787
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,935
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,882
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,932
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,095
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,378

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,51700
February1,25800
March990114
April540384
May21044314
June34164580
July3278739
August9207663
September12782411
October4889115
November908012
December1,34700

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 2.5 km from Eden Prairie. 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 USW00094963 (Mpls Flying Cloud AP). Public domain.