Le Center climate

Le Center Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for St Peter, 20.2 km from Le Center, elevation 795 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for St Peter. 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 2 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 153 days.

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

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°F154148144141137133130125119
32°F170165160157153150146141136
28°F193186181177173170166161155
24°F213206201197194190186181175
20°F232224220215211207203198190
16°F247241236231228224220214208

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
8,214
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
577
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,389
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,398
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,518
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,749
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,095

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,62700
February1,35000
March1,07708
April636254
May27832256
June53125522
July10213668
August27154592
September18448328
October568482
November98307
December1,42000

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 20.2 km from Le Center. 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 USC00217405 (St Peter). Public domain.