Wolf Point climate

Wolf Point Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Wolf Pt, 1.1 km from Wolf Point, elevation 2090 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Wolf Pt. 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 8 and the first fall freeze around September 28, a growing season of about 143 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 18, first September 20
Median at 32°F
last May 8, first September 28
Median at 28°F
last April 29, first October 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 30May 26May 23May 21May 18May 16May 13May 11May 7
32°FMay 20May 17May 13May 11May 8May 5May 3Apr 30Apr 25
28°FMay 11May 7May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 26Apr 22Apr 19Apr 14
24°FMay 2Apr 27Apr 24Apr 20Apr 17Apr 13Apr 10Apr 6Apr 1
20°FApr 22Apr 15Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 18
16°FApr 13Apr 7Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 15Mar 10

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 7Sep 12Sep 15Sep 18Sep 20Sep 22Sep 25Sep 27Oct 1
32°FSep 15Sep 20Sep 23Sep 26Sep 28Oct 1Oct 3Oct 6Oct 11
28°FSep 21Sep 27Oct 1Oct 4Oct 7Oct 11Oct 15Oct 18Oct 23
24°FSep 29Oct 6Oct 11Oct 15Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 27Nov 1
20°FOct 10Oct 16Oct 21Oct 24Oct 27Oct 30Nov 1Nov 5Nov 11
16°FOct 18Oct 25Oct 29Nov 1Nov 4Nov 7Nov 11Nov 15Nov 20

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°F141135131127124120116112105
32°F161155151148143140135130123
28°F182175170166162158153148141
24°F205197192188183179174170159
20°F226218213208204200195188180
16°F245236230225220216211205197

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
7,806
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
667
Growing degree days, base 40°F
4,568
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,531
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,623
Growing degree days, base 55°F
1,833
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,178

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,52700
February1,24001
March97809
April559164
May27420242
June7290469
July11258713
August21238682
September17356349
October560588
November98607
December1,40700

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 1.1 km from Wolf Point. 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 USC00249103 (Wolf Pt). Public domain.