Paynesville climate

Paynesville Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for New London, 19.7 km from Paynesville, elevation 1250 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for New London. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 4, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 13, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 4
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 19May 16May 13May 10May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 19May 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 23
28°FMay 9May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13
24°FApr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5
20°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
16°FApr 16Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23Mar 17

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 17Sep 20Sep 23Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8
32°FSep 23Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 16
28°FOct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 10Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 7
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23

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°F152147143139136132129124118
32°F169163159155152148144140134
28°F188180176171168165161157151
24°F209201196191187184179174168
20°F225218213209205200196191184
16°F239234228224220217212208201

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
8,561
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
577
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,326
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,362
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,501
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,742
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
January1,67900
February1,40100
March1,15603
April670146
May28029250
June58121513
July10210665
August21161604
September17353344
October595272
November1,02305
December1,49600

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 19.7 km from Paynesville. 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 USC00215842 (New London). Public domain.