Pine City climate

Pine City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Hinckley, 18.5 km from Pine City, elevation 1035 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Hinckley. 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 16 and the first fall freeze around September 24, a growing season of about 130 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 28, first September 15
Median at 32°F
last May 16, first September 24
Median at 28°F
last May 4, first October 2

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 9Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 28May 25May 23May 20May 15
32°FMay 30May 25May 22May 19May 16May 14May 11May 7May 3
28°FMay 20May 15May 11May 8May 4May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21
24°FMay 10May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
20°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1
16°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 20

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°FAug 31Sep 5Sep 8Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 24Sep 29
32°FSep 9Sep 14Sep 17Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 6
28°FSep 16Sep 22Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
24°FSep 25Oct 2Oct 7Oct 11Oct 14Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 30
20°FOct 9Oct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 6Nov 10
16°FOct 23Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22

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°F1291231181151111071039789
32°F150145139134130126122117111
28°F170163158153150146141137128
24°F194186181177172168162156150
20°F217210204198194190186180174
16°F235228224219215211207201194

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
9,192
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
253
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,512
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,605
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,819
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,152
Growing degree days, base 60°F
621

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,72800
February1,42000
March1,19102
April741023
May3929153
June12549377
July39105531
August7368460
September27021231
October672140
November1,05601
December1,48600

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 18.5 km from Pine City. 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 USC00213793 (Hinckley). Public domain.