La Belle climate

La Belle Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Steffenville, 16.5 km from La Belle, elevation 705 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Steffenville. 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 17 and the first fall freeze around October 19, a growing season of about 184 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 30, first October 7
Median at 32°F
last April 17, first October 19
Median at 28°F
last April 7, first October 30

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 13May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 26Apr 23Apr 20Apr 15
32°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 24Apr 21Apr 17Apr 15Apr 12Apr 9Apr 3
28°FApr 23Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 22
24°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 9
20°FApr 3Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 17Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28
16°FMar 25Mar 19Mar 15Mar 12Mar 9Mar 5Mar 2Feb 27Feb 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.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FSep 20Sep 25Sep 30Oct 4Oct 7Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 22
32°FSep 30Oct 6Oct 12Oct 15Oct 19Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 31
28°FOct 14Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 7Nov 12
24°FOct 26Oct 31Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 23
20°FNov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 20Nov 24Nov 29Dec 5
16°FNov 10Nov 16Nov 20Nov 24Nov 28Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 14

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°F183175170165160156152147141
32°F202196192188184179173168160
28°F224217212209205201195190181
24°F246239233229224221216211203
20°F268260254249244240235228220
16°F287279273267262257252247238

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
5,592
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,070
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,915
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,690
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,593
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,618
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,774

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,20402
February96606
March721253
April37214173
May13775409
June14225661
July2330794
August5281741
September81121493
October33621212
November698146
December1,05605

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 16.5 km from La Belle. 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 USC00238051 (Steffenville). Public domain.