Appleton City climate

Appleton City Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Appleton City, 0.4 km from Appleton City, elevation 866 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Appleton City. 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 7 and the first fall freeze around October 29, a growing season of about 202 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first October 29
Median at 28°F
last March 29, first November 6

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 4Apr 30Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 3
32°FApr 24Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 23
28°FApr 12Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 29Mar 26Mar 21Mar 17Mar 11
24°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 24Mar 19Mar 16Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 24Feb 17
16°FMar 15Mar 10Mar 6Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 13Feb 5

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 4Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 31
32°FOct 15Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 11
28°FOct 24Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 23
24°FNov 2Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 4
20°FNov 9Nov 15Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14
16°FNov 19Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 11Dec 16Dec 20Dec 26

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°F201195190185182177174169163
32°F222215210205202198194188180
28°F245237232227224219214209201
24°F269261255250245240236229222
20°F288279274268263258254248239
16°F309301293288282277272264256

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
4,822
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,376
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,587
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,272
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,092
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,048
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,142

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,06605
February836013
March619375
April32017205
May10597460
June7274717
July0414879
August2373837
September51164564
October27532262
November605265
December936011

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 0.4 km from Appleton City. 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 USC00230204 (Appleton City). Public domain.