Pine County climate

Pine County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Sandstone 6 W, 19.5 km from Pine County, elevation 1130 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Sandstone 6 W. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around September 29, a growing season of about 137 days.

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

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°F13412812412011611210710396
32°F159152148142137133129123116
28°F182174169165161157152146138
24°F205198193189185181176171164
20°F225219214211207203199194187
16°F241235230227223218214210203

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
8,836
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
266
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,694
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,743
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,916
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,218
Growing degree days, base 60°F
653

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,66900
February1,37900
March1,14404
April713025
May35710165
June10346394
July33108541
August6077482
September24824249
October616154
November1,03703
December1,47900

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 19.5 km from Pine County. 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 USW00054932 (Sandstone 6 W). Public domain.