Springfield climate

Springfield Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Springfield Wbo, 1.7 km from Springfield, elevation 1325 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Springfield Wbo. 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 4 and the first fall freeze around October 27, a growing season of about 204 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 17, first October 19
Median at 32°F
last April 4, first October 27
Median at 28°F
last March 27, first November 7

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 2Apr 27Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 11Apr 7Apr 2
32°FApr 20Apr 15Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 21
28°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 2Mar 30Mar 27Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 8
24°FApr 2Mar 27Mar 22Mar 18Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 25
20°FMar 21Mar 16Mar 11Mar 8Mar 4Mar 1Feb 25Feb 20Feb 14
16°FMar 15Mar 8Mar 4Feb 28Feb 23Feb 19Feb 13Feb 8Jan 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 5Oct 11Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 21Oct 23Oct 26Oct 29
32°FOct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 25Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 5Nov 11
28°FOct 23Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 25
24°FNov 1Nov 6Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 9Nov 17Nov 22Nov 25Nov 29Dec 2Dec 7Dec 11Dec 17
16°FNov 19Nov 27Dec 1Dec 7Dec 12Dec 16Dec 21Dec 27Jan 4

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°F202196191187182178175170163
32°F224217212208204200196191183
28°F250243236231226222217212205
24°F274265259254249244239233224
20°F296287281276271265260253245
16°F318310303298291285280273262

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
4,505
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,400
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,754
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,394
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,179
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,112
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,185

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January99306
February779016
March581486
April28812216
May89107486
June4271717
July0406871
August1380844
September44179585
October26237275
November568366
December89609

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 1.7 km from Springfield. 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 USW00093981 (Springfield Wbo). Public domain.