Sibley County climate

Sibley County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Gaylord, 2.8 km from Sibley County, elevation 1020 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Gaylord. 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 24 and the first fall freeze around October 15, a growing season of about 170 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 4, first October 3
Median at 32°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 24

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 19May 13May 10May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 8May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
28°FApr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 1
24°FApr 22Apr 17Apr 12Apr 9Apr 6Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 21
20°FApr 13Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 14
16°FApr 8Apr 3Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 16Mar 13Mar 8

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 21Sep 26Sep 30Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 17
32°FSep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 17Oct 19Oct 23Oct 27
28°FOct 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 7
24°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15
20°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 15Nov 18Nov 23
16°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 16Nov 19Nov 22Nov 25Nov 30

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°F170163159154151148144139133
32°F189183178174170166162157148
28°F211204199195191188183178172
24°F226219215212208205200195189
20°F243236231226222218214209204
16°F258250245240236232228222215

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
7,974
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
687
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,623
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,613
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,710
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,918
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,239

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59300
February1,33000
March1,07407
April605260
May24841285
June40156567
July7246704
August19177623
September15661365
October536492
November96308
December1,40300

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 2.8 km from Sibley 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 USC00213076 (Gaylord). Public domain.