Wildwood climate

Wildwood Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for St Louis Sprt Of S L AP, 8.3 km from Wildwood, elevation 462 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for St Louis Sprt Of S L 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 12 and the first fall freeze around October 23, a growing season of about 193 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 14
Median at 32°F
last April 12, first October 23
Median at 28°F
last March 31, first November 3

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

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°F190183179175171167164158152
32°F213206201197193189186180172
28°F237230225220216212208203196
24°F265256249244240235231225219
20°F286277271266261257251245238
16°F310300293287281276271265257

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
4,650
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,448
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,732
Growing degree days, base 45°F
5,400
Growing degree days, base 50°F
4,209
Growing degree days, base 55°F
3,153
Growing degree days, base 60°F
2,231

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,03805
February808117
March598685
April28828234
May88120499
June6300744
July0426891
August2370834
September51162562
October27132260
November593265
December907012

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 8.3 km from Wildwood. 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 USW00003966 (St Louis Sprt Of S L AP). Public domain.