Eldon climate

Eldon Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Eldon, 0.1 km from Eldon, elevation 924 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Eldon. 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 November 1, a growing season of about 208 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 22
Median at 32°F
last April 7, first November 1
Median at 28°F
last March 28, first November 11

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 8May 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 9Apr 4
32°FApr 27Apr 20Apr 16Apr 11Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
28°FApr 14Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10
24°FApr 2Mar 28Mar 23Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 5Feb 28
20°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 16
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 6

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 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2
32°FOct 19Oct 24Oct 28Oct 31Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
28°FOct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 22Nov 29
24°FNov 4Nov 9Nov 13Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7
20°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 21Nov 25Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 10Dec 17
16°FNov 19Nov 25Nov 30Dec 3Dec 7Dec 12Dec 17Dec 22Dec 28

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°F205197192188183178174167156
32°F231221217212208203198192182
28°F253244238233228224219213205
24°F274266260255249244239232224
20°F292284277272267262257250242
16°F311302296289285279273266259

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
4,657
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,448
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,772
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,435
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,234
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,170
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,240

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,04607
February811016
March612581
April29629238
May94108481
June8289730
July0426891
August2380843
September46175580
October25233280
November588372
December902014

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 0.1 km from Eldon. 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 USC00232503 (Eldon). Public domain.