Hermann Frost Dates and Growing Season
Frost and the growing season
NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Rosebud. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around October 13, a growing season of about 168 days.
- Median at 36°F
- last May 6, first October 2
- Median at 32°F
- last April 27, first October 13
- Median at 28°F
- last April 14, first October 24
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | May 21 | May 15 | May 12 | May 9 | May 6 | May 4 | May 1 | Apr 28 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | May 12 | May 7 | May 3 | Apr 30 | Apr 27 | Apr 24 | Apr 20 | Apr 16 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | May 5 | Apr 27 | Apr 22 | Apr 18 | Apr 14 | Apr 11 | Apr 7 | Apr 3 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F | Apr 21 | Apr 14 | Apr 9 | Apr 5 | Apr 3 | Mar 31 | Mar 27 | Mar 21 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F | Apr 7 | Apr 1 | Mar 29 | Mar 24 | Mar 21 | Mar 17 | Mar 13 | Mar 9 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F | Mar 27 | Mar 20 | Mar 16 | Mar 12 | Mar 9 | Mar 5 | Mar 2 | Feb 27 | Feb 21 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 18 | Sep 23 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 16 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 3 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 26 |
| 28°F | Oct 9 | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 20°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 16°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 |
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.
| Threshold | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | 167 | 161 | 156 | 152 | 149 | 144 | 140 | 135 | 129 |
| 32°F | 189 | 182 | 177 | 172 | 168 | 164 | 159 | 154 | 146 |
| 28°F | 213 | 206 | 201 | 197 | 191 | 187 | 182 | 176 | 166 |
| 24°F | 236 | 228 | 223 | 219 | 215 | 210 | 205 | 199 | 190 |
| 20°F | 261 | 252 | 247 | 242 | 237 | 233 | 227 | 222 | 213 |
| 16°F | 284 | 277 | 270 | 265 | 260 | 254 | 250 | 243 | 236 |
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
- 5,353
- Cooling degree days, base 65°F
- 1,028
- Growing degree days, base 40°F
- 5,902
- Growing degree days, base 45°F
- 4,649
- Growing degree days, base 50°F
- 3,539
- Growing degree days, base 55°F
- 2,563
- Growing degree days, base 60°F
- 1,721
Growing degree days by month, base 50°F
Heating and cooling by month
| Month | Heating DD | Cooling DD | Growing DD 50 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1,119 | 0 | 4 |
| February | 895 | 0 | 12 |
| March | 701 | 2 | 58 |
| April | 376 | 14 | 171 |
| May | 146 | 66 | 392 |
| June | 20 | 205 | 634 |
| July | 2 | 326 | 789 |
| August | 7 | 284 | 742 |
| September | 87 | 111 | 477 |
| October | 343 | 19 | 203 |
| November | 669 | 1 | 49 |
| December | 989 | 0 | 8 |
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 28.7 km from Hermann. 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 USC00237300 (Rosebud). Public domain.