Winsted climate

Winsted Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Dassel 3SE, 20.1 km from Winsted, elevation 1065 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Dassel 3SE. 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 30 and the first fall freeze around October 10, a growing season of about 162 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 8, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 30, first October 10
Median at 28°F
last April 19, first October 21

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 22May 17May 14May 11May 8May 6May 3May 1Apr 27
32°FMay 12May 7May 4May 2Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 20Apr 16
28°FMay 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6
24°FApr 24Apr 20Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Apr 2Mar 31Mar 26Mar 20
16°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 21Mar 17Mar 13

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 20Sep 24Sep 26Sep 29Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 9Oct 13
32°FSep 28Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 13Oct 15Oct 18Oct 22
28°FOct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 2
24°FOct 17Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 12
20°FOct 27Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19
16°FNov 1Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 13Nov 16Nov 18Nov 22Nov 27

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°F160155151148144141137133126
32°F180173169166162158154149144
28°F201195191187183179174169163
24°F221214209205201198194189183
20°F235229224220216212209204197
16°F250243238234229225221216211

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
8,211
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
620
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,537
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,537
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,636
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,845
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,170

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,65800
February1,37400
March1,11209
April622163
May25934271
June40130540
July7228686
August18164610
September15459363
October544489
November98705
December1,43700

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 20.1 km from Winsted. 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 USC00212023 (Dassel 3SE). Public domain.