Wibaux climate

Wibaux Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wibaux 2 E, 2.4 km from Wibaux, elevation 2696 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wibaux 2 E. 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 27 and the first fall freeze around September 16, a growing season of about 112 days.

Median at 36°F
last June 8, first September 3
Median at 32°F
last May 27, first September 16
Median at 28°F
last May 17, first September 26

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 26Jun 20Jun 17Jun 13Jun 8Jun 4Jun 1May 29May 25
32°FJun 13Jun 5Jun 1May 29May 27May 24May 22May 18May 15
28°FJun 1May 26May 23May 19May 17May 14May 11May 8May 4
24°FMay 21May 15May 11May 8May 5May 2Apr 30Apr 27Apr 22
20°FMay 9May 4Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
16°FApr 29Apr 23Apr 20Apr 17Apr 14Apr 10Apr 7Apr 4Mar 30

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 15Aug 24Aug 29Sep 1Sep 3Sep 5Sep 9Sep 13Sep 19
32°FSep 2Sep 5Sep 10Sep 13Sep 16Sep 19Sep 22Sep 25Sep 29
28°FSep 10Sep 16Sep 19Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 5Oct 10
24°FSep 18Sep 25Sep 29Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 11Oct 15Oct 20
20°FSep 29Oct 4Oct 8Oct 12Oct 15Oct 17Oct 21Oct 25Oct 29
16°FOct 8Oct 13Oct 17Oct 20Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 2Nov 7

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°F1079994908580756859
32°F1321251211171121081039789
28°F151146140136131128124118111
24°F172165160156151148143138129
20°F192186180176171167162157150
16°F216207202196192188184178171

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
8,692
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
353
Growing degree days, base 40°F
3,667
Growing degree days, base 45°F
2,728
Growing degree days, base 50°F
1,927
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,258
Growing degree days, base 60°F
728

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,52500
February1,27700
March1,07603
April713023
May4145136
June14739347
July37150578
August55129540
September25829253
October691145
November1,07402
December1,42600

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 2.4 km from Wibaux. 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 USC00248957 (Wibaux 2 E). Public domain.