Albion climate

Albion Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Albion, 0.7 km from Albion, elevation 1795 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Albion. 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 1 and the first fall freeze around October 5, a growing season of about 157 days.

Median at 36°F
last May 10, first September 27
Median at 32°F
last May 1, first October 5
Median at 28°F
last April 22, first October 16

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 23May 18May 15May 13May 10May 8May 5May 2Apr 29
32°FMay 12May 8May 5May 3May 1Apr 29Apr 27Apr 22Apr 17
28°FMay 5Apr 30Apr 28Apr 25Apr 22Apr 19Apr 16Apr 12Apr 8
24°FApr 27Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 11Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 28
20°FApr 18Apr 12Apr 8Apr 5Apr 2Mar 31Mar 27Mar 22Mar 16
16°FApr 10Apr 5Apr 1Mar 30Mar 25Mar 22Mar 17Mar 14Mar 7

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 15Sep 19Sep 21Sep 24Sep 27Sep 30Oct 2Oct 5Oct 8
32°FSep 22Sep 27Sep 30Oct 3Oct 5Oct 8Oct 10Oct 14Oct 18
28°FSep 29Oct 5Oct 10Oct 14Oct 16Oct 19Oct 22Oct 24Oct 28
24°FOct 13Oct 18Oct 22Oct 24Oct 26Oct 29Oct 31Nov 3Nov 7
20°FOct 22Oct 26Oct 29Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 8Nov 11Nov 16
16°FOct 27Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 10Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25

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°F157152148144140137134129123
32°F174168165161157153149145138
28°F194188183179175172168163155
24°F215208203199195191187182175
20°F236229223218214210206201194
16°F254245239234229225221216208

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
6,825
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
790
Growing degree days, base 40°F
5,004
Growing degree days, base 45°F
3,902
Growing degree days, base 50°F
2,932
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,089
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,372

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,33600
February1,10002
March880018
April535483
May22445308
June35174590
July6277736
August15209659
September13775398
October4706124
November858016
December1,22900

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 0.7 km from Albion. 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 USC00250070 (Albion). Public domain.