Indian Point climate

Indian Point Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Branson AP, 16.2 km from Indian Point, elevation 1286 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Branson AP. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around November 2, a growing season of about 209 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 19, first October 25
Median at 32°F
last April 8, first November 2
Median at 28°F
last March 26, first November 12

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

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 11Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5
32°FOct 21Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 17
28°FOct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 24Nov 30
24°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 30Dec 4Dec 9
20°FNov 13Nov 18Nov 24Nov 29Dec 1Dec 6Dec 12Dec 19Dec 26
16°FNov 24Nov 30Dec 5Dec 11Dec 18Dec 24Dec 30Jan 4Jan 13

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°F208201196192188184180175168
32°F231223217213209205200195187
28°F255246240235230225220215208
24°F279270263258253247242236227
20°F303293286280275269263257247
16°F325316309303297291284277268

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
4,146
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,449
Growing degree days, base 40°F
7,022
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,609
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,339
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,222
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,265

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January933012
February717131
March5347104
April25925252
May93110487
June5272717
July0415880
August1390854
September36179593
October22947309
November523382
December815020

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 16.2 km from Indian Point. 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 USC00230887 (Branson AP). Public domain.