Scanlon climate

Scanlon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Cloquet, 7.3 km from Scanlon, elevation 1265 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Cloquet. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around September 23, a growing season of about 118 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 7, first September 12
Median at 32°F
last May 26, first September 23
Median at 28°F
last May 12, first October 3

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 21Jun 16Jun 13Jun 10Jun 7Jun 4Jun 2May 31May 27
32°FJun 9Jun 4Jun 1May 30May 26May 24May 21May 18May 13
28°FMay 28May 23May 19May 16May 12May 9May 5May 3Apr 28
24°FMay 15May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 16
20°FMay 2Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 5
16°FApr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 28

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 29Sep 2Sep 5Sep 9Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 21Sep 25
32°FSep 9Sep 14Sep 18Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4
28°FSep 18Sep 24Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13Oct 18
24°FOct 1Oct 5Oct 9Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27Nov 1
20°FOct 14Oct 19Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
16°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21

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°F111107102989590858072
32°F13713212612211811410910497
28°F163157153147142138134128120
24°F189182176171168164159153144
20°F213206201196192188184179172
16°F229225220216212208204198192

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
9,396
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
211
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,342
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,448
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,680
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,039
Growing degree days, base 60°F
539

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,70600
February1,42000
March1,19502
April776015
May4285122
June16131324
July5392504
August7967453
September27517223
October682037
November1,09701
December1,52400

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 7.3 km from Scanlon. 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 USC00211630 (Cloquet). Public domain.