Lilydale climate

Lilydale Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Minneapolis/st Paul AP, 8.9 km from Lilydale, elevation 872 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Minneapolis/st Paul AP. 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 23 and the first fall freeze around October 18, a growing season of about 176 days.

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

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 24Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20
32°FOct 1Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
24°FOct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19
20°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 27
16°FNov 6Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 20Nov 23Nov 26Nov 30Dec 5

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°F173167163159155151148143136
32°F196189184180176172168164158
28°F215209204201197193188183176
24°F233227221218214210206202194
20°F250244239235230226222217210
16°F265258253249245241237232225

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
7,399
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
830
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,959
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,909
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,966
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,134
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,418

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,51300
February1,24300
March983013
April542482
May21445313
June34175591
July4294755
August10220674
September12884413
October4898114
November906012
December1,33300

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 8.9 km from Lilydale. 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 USW00014922 (Minneapolis/st Paul AP). Public domain.