Madison climate

Madison Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moberly, 20.4 km from Madison, elevation 860 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moberly. 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 13 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 25, first October 16
Median at 32°F
last April 13, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 3, first November 2

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 3Apr 30Apr 27Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 9
32°FApr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 16Apr 13Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31
28°FApr 18Apr 13Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 24Mar 18
24°FApr 7Apr 2Mar 30Mar 26Mar 23Mar 20Mar 16Mar 12Mar 7
20°FMar 30Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 26
16°FMar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 5Mar 2Feb 28Feb 23Feb 17

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 30Oct 6Oct 10Oct 13Oct 16Oct 18Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 6
28°FOct 21Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 7Nov 10Nov 16
24°FOct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 8Nov 10Nov 12Nov 16Nov 20Nov 26
20°FNov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7
16°FNov 11Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 6Dec 11Dec 18

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°F192185181177173169165160155
32°F214208203199195191187183176
28°F235228223219215212207203196
24°F255247242237233230225221214
20°F276267261257253248243238230
16°F294285279274269265260255246

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
5,157
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,253
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,332
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,053
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,905
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,886
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,999

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,14703
February912010
March661366
April33315195
May10995455
June8256697
July1381845
August3333795
September61144534
October29527245
November646152
December98109

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 20.4 km from Madison. 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 USC00235671 (Moberly). Public domain.