Kenyon climate

Kenyon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Faribault, 22.8 km from Kenyon, elevation 970 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Faribault. 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 5 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 152 days.

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

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 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 9
32°FSep 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17
28°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 6
20°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17
16°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 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°F153147142138135131126121115
32°F171165159155152148144139132
28°F189183178174170166161156151
24°F210203199194191186182176170
20°F229223218214210206202196189
16°F248240235231227223219213206

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
8,032
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
589
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,406
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,412
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,529
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,758
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,103

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,58100
February1,31700
March1,07306
April626251
May28831247
June54138534
July12207660
August28149586
September17156348
October555688
November95708
December1,37200

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 22.8 km from Kenyon. 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 USC00212721 (Faribault). Public domain.