Shoreview climate

Shoreview Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Vadnais Lake, 5.3 km from Shoreview, elevation 890 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Vadnais Lake. 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 April 23 and the first fall freeze around October 20, a growing season of about 177 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 2, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 23, first October 20
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 31

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 16May 12May 8May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 19
32°FMay 7May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 21Apr 17Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 14Apr 11Apr 9Apr 6Apr 2
24°FApr 21Apr 16Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 30Mar 24
20°FApr 16Apr 9Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 15
16°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9

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 24Sep 29Oct 2Oct 5Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20
32°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 20Oct 23Oct 25Oct 29Nov 2
28°FOct 15Oct 21Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 21
20°FNov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28
16°FNov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 18Nov 21Nov 24Nov 26Nov 30Dec 6

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°F176169165161157154149144138
32°F197190186181177174170166159
28°F216208204200197193188184178
24°F231224219215212208204200194
20°F246240234230226222218213206
16°F260254249244240235232227219

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
7,327
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
790
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,958
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,901
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,946
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,107
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,385

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,50500
February1,24000
March988011
April551480
May20849321
June35167582
July6269728
August9212668
September12182417
October4637124
November885014
December1,31600

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 5.3 km from Shoreview. 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 USC00218477 (Vadnais Lake). Public domain.