Floodwood climate

Floodwood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Floodwood 3 Ne, 6.2 km from Floodwood, elevation 1260 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Floodwood 3 Ne. 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 29 and the first fall freeze around September 18, a growing season of about 111 days.

Median at 32°F
last May 29, first September 18
Median at 28°F
last May 16, first September 29

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°F–––––––––
32°FJun 13Jun 7Jun 3May 31May 29May 26May 23May 19May 14
28°FMay 31May 27May 23May 19May 16May 12May 8May 3Apr 30
24°FMay 20May 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 19
20°FMay 7May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9
16°FApr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 3Mar 31

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°F–––––––––
32°FSep 1Sep 6Sep 11Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 28Oct 2
28°FSep 12Sep 18Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 13
24°FSep 24Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 27
20°FOct 6Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 8
16°FOct 18Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17

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°F10810195908580756859
32°F1311241181141111061029790
28°F155148143137133129125120112
24°F180172167162158153149144135
20°F205197191186182178173168159
16°F224217212208205201196191182

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
9,833
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
181
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,210
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,337
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,587
Growing degree days, base 55°F
964
Growing degree days, base 60°F
482

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,79500
February1,49900
March1,25102
April797017
May4378129
June16729319
July7577467
August10352415
September30715200
October707137
November1,12202
December1,57200

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 6.2 km from Floodwood. 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 USC00212842 (Floodwood 3 Ne). Public domain.