Wheaton climate

Wheaton Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Monett 4SW, 13.8 km from Wheaton, elevation 1420 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Monett 4SW. 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 9 and the first fall freeze around October 26, a growing season of about 199 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 22, first October 18
Median at 32°F
last April 9, first October 26
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 4

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 6May 2Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 3
32°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 17Apr 13Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 24
28°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31Mar 28Mar 23Mar 18Mar 11
24°FApr 6Apr 1Mar 28Mar 23Mar 19Mar 15Mar 10Mar 6Feb 28
20°FMar 28Mar 20Mar 15Mar 11Mar 7Mar 3Feb 28Feb 25Feb 17
16°FMar 16Mar 10Mar 6Mar 3Feb 28Feb 23Feb 18Feb 13Feb 5

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 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 18Oct 20Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30
32°FOct 13Oct 17Oct 21Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 10
28°FOct 20Oct 25Oct 30Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20
24°FOct 30Nov 3Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 2
20°FNov 7Nov 13Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Nov 29Dec 3Dec 7Dec 13
16°FNov 15Nov 23Nov 27Dec 1Dec 6Dec 10Dec 14Dec 19Dec 27

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°F198190185181177173169164157
32°F221213208203199195190185178
28°F244235230225220215210206198
24°F266257250245240236230225217
20°F290280274268263258252245236
16°F310300295289284279273266256

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
4,363
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,397
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,863
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,483
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,245
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,148
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,199

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January961010
February753024
March570592
April28425240
May9797468
June7262705
July1403868
August2383846
September40181592
October24238295
November554385
December852020

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 13.8 km from Wheaton. 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 USC00235704 (Monett 4SW). Public domain.