Center climate

Center Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Monroe City, 21.8 km from Center, elevation 741 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Monroe 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 22, a growing season of about 190 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 25, first October 12
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 22
Median at 28°F
last April 2, first November 1

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 9May 4May 1Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
32°FApr 28Apr 23Apr 19Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
28°FApr 17Apr 10Apr 7Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 15
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
20°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 1Feb 24
16°FMar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 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 26Oct 2Oct 6Oct 9Oct 12Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 23
32°FOct 7Oct 13Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 3
28°FOct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 17
24°FNov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Nov 30
20°FNov 8Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11
16°FNov 16Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 3Dec 6Dec 10Dec 15Dec 21

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°F186181176172168164160155148
32°F210203198194190186181177169
28°F234226220216212208204199191
24°F261252246241236231227220214
20°F281272266261257253248241234
16°F298289284278273267263258251

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
5,508
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,145
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,014
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,776
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,669
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,698
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,858

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,18401
February96405
March724357
April37613166
May14190422
June8237679
July2349812
August5293753
September78133507
October32424221
November678243
December1,02404

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 21.8 km from Center. 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 USC00235708 (Monroe City). Public domain.