Hendricks climate

Hendricks Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Astoria 4S, 8.6 km from Hendricks, elevation 1890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Astoria 4S. 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 6 and the first fall freeze around October 3, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 15, first September 26
Median at 32°F
last May 6, first October 3
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 13

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

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°F150144139135132129126121116
32°F168162157153150147143138132
28°F188183177172169165161156150
24°F208200195191188184180175168
20°F227220215210206202198193186
16°F243236231226222218213209202

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
8,617
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
441
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,077
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,109
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,253
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,516
Growing degree days, base 60°F
910

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64900
February1,37200
March1,14106
April692138
May32815203
June8086457
July21172617
August38124552
September20541307
October600268
November1,03104
December1,46200

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 8.6 km from Hendricks. 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 USC00390422 (Astoria 4S). Public domain.