Saint Augusta climate

Saint Augusta Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for St Cloud Rgnl AP, 10.7 km from Saint Augusta, elevation 1018 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for St Cloud Rgnl 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 7 and the first fall freeze around September 30, a growing season of about 144 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 7, first September 30
Median at 28°F
last April 27, first October 8

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 1May 28May 24May 21May 18May 15May 12May 9May 4
32°FMay 23May 17May 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 24
28°FMay 11May 6May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 21Apr 17Apr 12
24°FApr 30Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3
20°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 2Mar 30Mar 23
16°FApr 14Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14

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 8Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3
32°FSep 16Sep 21Sep 25Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12
28°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 14Oct 18Oct 23
24°FOct 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31Nov 2
20°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 14
16°FOct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 8Nov 11Nov 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°F143137132128123119116112104
32°F163156152148144140136131122
28°F183177172167164159155149142
24°F206199193189185181177172166
20°F226218213209206201197192186
16°F242235230226221218213209202

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
8,490
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
468
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,138
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,168
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,311
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,564
Growing degree days, base 60°F
945

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,64900
February1,36900
March1,11106
April651144
May29724228
June6797481
July17180628
August37122550
September20641303
October601366
November1,02205
December1,46300

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 10.7 km from Saint Augusta. 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 USW00014926 (St Cloud Rgnl AP). Public domain.