Springfield climate

Springfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Springfield 1 Nw, 1.2 km from Springfield, elevation 1066 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Springfield 1 Nw. 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 1, a growing season of about 150 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 12, first September 22
Median at 32°F
last May 4, first October 1
Median at 28°F
last April 24, 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 25May 20May 17May 14May 12May 9May 7May 4Apr 30
32°FMay 15May 12May 8May 6May 4May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 20
28°FMay 6May 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
24°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
20°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 25Mar 18
16°FApr 12Apr 6Apr 3Apr 1Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10

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 10Sep 14Sep 17Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 2Oct 7
32°FSep 17Sep 21Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
28°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 27
24°FOct 7Oct 14Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 29Nov 1Nov 6
20°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 15
16°FOct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 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°F151145140137133130126121115
32°F170163158154150146142137132
28°F192185180175171167162157150
24°F213205201196192187183178171
20°F230223218214210205200196188
16°F247240235230225221217212204

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
8,068
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
593
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,464
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,459
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,566
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,783
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,117

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,59800
February1,31700
March1,07908
April624359
May26638271
June49142543
July14206657
August32140573
September17257348
October539799
November97108
December1,40700

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 1.2 km from Springfield. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00217907 (Springfield 1 Nw). Public domain.