La Crescent climate

La Crescent Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for La Crescent Dam 7, 4.2 km from La Crescent, elevation 647 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for La Crescent Dam 7. 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 15 and the first fall freeze around October 28, a growing season of about 194 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 26, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 15, first October 28
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 5

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 10May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 12
32°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Mar 31
28°FApr 20Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 19
24°FApr 9Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 22Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10
20°FApr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4
16°FMar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 7Mar 4Mar 2Feb 26

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°FOct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 9
28°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 29
20°FNov 8Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 29Dec 2Dec 8
16°FNov 15Nov 21Nov 24Nov 27Nov 30Dec 2Dec 5Dec 10Dec 15

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°F193186181177173169164159152
32°F215209204199194190186181175
28°F236228223219215211206202194
24°F253246241236233229225220213
20°F270263258253249244240234227
16°F284277271267263259255250243

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
6,935
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
820
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,095
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,004
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,027
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,173
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,434

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,43800
February1,19500
March944020
April497490
May20142318
June20179609
July2290753
August7225683
September11475414
October4266130
November842010
December1,24900

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 4.2 km from La Crescent. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00214418 (La Crescent Dam 7). Public domain.