Elgin climate

Elgin Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Theilman 1SSW, 17.4 km from Elgin, elevation 753 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Theilman 1SSW. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 2, a growing season of about 148 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 16, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 28, first October 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 30May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 8May 4
32°FMay 22May 15May 12May 9May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 12May 7May 3May 1Apr 28Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 13
24°FMay 3Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 5Apr 1
20°FApr 26Apr 19Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
16°FApr 13Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 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 12Sep 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6
32°FSep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 15
28°FSep 27Oct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 19Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 18
16°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 23Nov 27

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°F147142138134131127123118111
32°F166160156152148144140135128
28°F187180175171167162157153146
24°F208201197192189183178172164
20°F230224218214209205200194184
16°F249241236232227223219214207

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
7,860
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
614
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,493
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,482
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,582
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,803
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,143

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,57200
February1,29800
March1,042110
April601259
May27532254
June52135533
July11219673
August23163604
September16859353
October535591
November93207
December1,35200

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 17.4 km from Elgin. 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 USC00218227 (Theilman 1SSW). Public domain.