Pipestone County climate

Pipestone County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Pipestone, 5.4 km from Pipestone County, elevation 1705 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Pipestone. 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 2, a growing season of about 152 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 14, first September 25
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 2
Median at 28°F
last April 25, first October 12

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 20May 17May 14May 11May 8May 5Apr 30
32°FMay 19May 13May 9May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 21
28°FMay 8May 3Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 10
24°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 21Apr 18Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 2
20°FApr 22Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 22
16°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 13

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 11Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Sep 30Oct 3Oct 7
32°FSep 20Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 11Oct 16
28°FSep 27Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 25
24°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 5
20°FOct 17Oct 23Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 14
16°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 18Nov 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°F152147142137133129125121115
32°F170163159155152148144139133
28°F189183178174170166162156150
24°F209202198193189185181176168
20°F227220216211206202198194188
16°F245237231227223220215209202

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
8,088
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
637
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,513
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,508
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,611
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,830
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,169

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59300
February1,31600
March1,06708
April621161
May27536265
June53139536
July15225676
August27167604
September16964358
October554594
November98708
December1,41200

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 5.4 km from Pipestone County. 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 USC00216565 (Pipestone). Public domain.