Oakport climate

Oakport Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Fargo Hector Intl AP, 2.5 km from Oakport, elevation 900 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Fargo Hector Intl 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 May 10 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 19, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 10, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 30, first October 10

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°FJun 2May 28May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 10May 6
32°FMay 23May 18May 15May 12May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
28°FMay 15May 9May 6May 3Apr 30Apr 29Apr 25Apr 20Apr 15
24°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
20°FApr 25Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 18

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

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°F143136132128124121117111105
32°F162155151147143139134130124
28°F182175170166161158153149142
24°F204196191187182178174168161
20°F221213209205201196192187180
16°F237231226221217213209204197

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
8,806
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
542
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,232
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,271
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,416
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,668
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,037

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,73000
February1,44500
March1,17204
April661145
May29129247
June60116506
July17195643
August32149581
September19849318
October609469
November1,06503
December1,52700

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 2.5 km from Oakport. 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 USW00014914 (Fargo Hector Intl AP). Public domain.