Sledge climate

Sledge Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Lambert 1W, 26.1 km from Sledge, elevation 155 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Lambert 1W. 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 March 17 and the first fall freeze around November 7, a growing season of about 233 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 1, first October 28
Median at 32°F
last March 17, first November 7
Median at 28°F
last March 5, first November 20

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°FApr 18Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 18Mar 11
32°FApr 5Mar 31Mar 26Mar 22Mar 17Mar 13Mar 9Mar 5Feb 28
28°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 12Mar 8Mar 5Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 13
24°FMar 13Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7Jan 31Jan 24
20°FMar 3Feb 23Feb 14Feb 7Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 14Jan 4
16°FFeb 14Feb 4Jan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 18Jan 12Jan 6Dec 29

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°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 13
32°FOct 22Oct 27Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20Nov 27
28°FOct 31Nov 5Nov 11Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30Dec 4Dec 15
24°FNov 11Nov 20Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 12Dec 20Dec 29Jan 6
20°FNov 29Dec 6Dec 13Dec 22Dec 29Jan 1Jan 7Jan 15Jan 24
16°FDec 12Dec 23Dec 30Jan 2Jan 7Jan 11Jan 16Jan 21Jan 31

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°F235226219214209205199193186
32°F258250244238233228222214206
28°F290279272265259253248240231
24°F326313304299292284276268256
20°F360347338332325317308302289
16°F365365365361353345337330316

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
99% of years
20°F or colder
92% of years
16°F or colder
64% 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
3,029
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,158
Growing degree days, base 40°F
8,508
Growing degree days, base 45°F
6,954
Growing degree days, base 50°F
5,534
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,258
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,133

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January745136
February553365
March36816190
April14163383
May28225662
June0421871
July0516981
August0501966
September7314757
October13885420
November39110149
December657253

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 26.1 km from Sledge. 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 USC00224869 (Lambert 1W). Public domain.