Ekalaka climate

Ekalaka Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Ekalaka, 0.5 km from Ekalaka, elevation 3432 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Ekalaka. 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 May 20 and the first fall freeze around September 23, a growing season of about 126 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 31, first September 13
Median at 32°F
last May 20, first September 23
Median at 28°F
last May 10, first October 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°FJun 21Jun 14Jun 8Jun 4May 31May 29May 26May 24May 19
32°FJun 1May 28May 25May 23May 20May 17May 14May 11May 7
28°FMay 23May 18May 15May 13May 10May 7May 4May 1Apr 27
24°FMay 14May 9May 5May 2Apr 29Apr 27Apr 23Apr 19Apr 13
20°FMay 4Apr 29Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 6Mar 31
16°FApr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 31Mar 26Mar 19

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°FAug 28Sep 2Sep 7Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 20Sep 23Sep 28
32°FSep 7Sep 12Sep 17Sep 21Sep 23Sep 26Sep 29Oct 2Oct 7
28°FSep 17Sep 22Sep 26Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8Oct 12Oct 17
24°FSep 25Oct 1Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 25
20°FOct 3Oct 10Oct 14Oct 17Oct 19Oct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 4
16°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 25Oct 28Nov 1Nov 4Nov 8Nov 13

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°F12311611110710297938779
32°F146139134130126122118113105
28°F164158153149145142137133127
24°F187179174169165160155149142
20°F207200194190185181176170163
16°F230220214209204201195190181

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
7,678
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
537
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,194
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,178
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,308
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,580
Growing degree days, base 60°F
986

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,34400
February1,14700
March95809
April638143
May3629174
June12066399
July23215657
August38193621
September20051324
October598374
November96806
December1,28300

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 0.5 km from Ekalaka. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00242689 (Ekalaka). Public domain.