Crawford County climate

Crawford County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Steelville 2 N, 6.7 km from Crawford County, elevation 700 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Steelville 2 N. 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 26 and the first fall freeze around October 8, a growing season of about 164 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 5, first October 1
Median at 32°F
last April 26, first October 8
Median at 28°F
last April 14, first October 18

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 16May 12May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 21
32°FMay 12May 6May 2Apr 29Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15Apr 9
28°FMay 1Apr 26Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2Mar 28
24°FApr 21Apr 15Apr 10Apr 6Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 14
20°FApr 11Apr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 23Mar 20Mar 14Mar 10Mar 4
16°FApr 2Mar 26Mar 21Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 4Mar 1Feb 24

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 17Sep 22Sep 25Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12
32°FSep 25Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
28°FOct 3Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
24°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 23Oct 26Oct 28Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 10
20°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 15Nov 19Nov 25
16°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7

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°F166160155151147143139134127
32°F187178172168164160156151144
28°F209201195189184180175170162
24°F230222216211207203197192184
20°F256246240234229224220214206
16°F278269264257252247241235228

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
5,193
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,008
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,926
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,660
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,539
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,547
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,702

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,07705
February85408
March675256
April35319191
May13375412
June21207636
July2324787
August8266724
September91101463
October34712197
November669151
December964010

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 6.7 km from Crawford County. 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 USC00238043 (Steelville 2 N). Public domain.